The Life of an Untouchable
by astronomylover
Summary: Rogue has never had an easy life especially because Logan has just walked out on her again. The Life of an Untouchable is the story of Rogue's life through her diary and third person POV. Takes place after X2. ScottMarie. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

The Life of an Untouchable

**Disclaimer:** I don't own X-Men or any of the related characters - they belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement.

September 12th, 2006 – 11:15 AM, My Bedroom

Can fate _ever_ throw me a bone? I mean, REALLY! Logan, my best friend in the whole wide world (that BASTARD!) took off on his bike early this morning and left…again. Except this time, he wasn't alone. That's right, you guessed it. Jean went with him. Poor Scott has been up in his room all morning, crying. He refuses to talk to anyone. Even the Professor tried, but to no avail.

Y'know, it's almost as if we're in the same boat. I've never really looked at it this way before, but it's true. We've both lost someone we love. Yes, I admit it; I'm in love with Logan. I'm not denying it any longer. (I've been trying to for three years, but it didn't seem to be working – I GIVE UP!) However, seeing as the man I love sped off on one of Scott's bikes with the good doctor (and I'm not talking 'bout Hank), I suppose now is as good a time as any to move on.

Psht. If only it was that easy.

I think I'll go down to the kitchen, fix some breakfast, and bring it up to Scott. He could probably use it.

* * *

Rogue put her journal down on the bed, tucked the fuzzy pen inside the book, and headed downstairs to the kitchen. For 11:30 in the morning, it was oddly calm in the halls. The kitchen itself was filled with several people: Kitty and Piotr were seated at the table, each sneaking glances at the other when they weren't looking; Jubilee was sitting on the counter, eating an apple; and Bobby was standing next to the fridge, making a sandwich. Everyone looked up as Rogue walked in.

"Hey, Rogue."

"Rogue-y!"

"Hi."

A chorus of hellos came up as Marie smiled back at her friends, at the same time walking over to the drawer to get a cutting board. Bobby's eyes followed her all over the kitchen as she proceeded to make a turkey sandwich and pour a tall glass of orange juice. As Marie made to leave the kitchen, Jubilee spoke up.

"Didn't you eat already, chica?"

Marie turned around in the doorway, smiling at her yellow-clad friend.

"Yeah, I did. This is for Scott."

Turning around and continuing her walk out of the kitchen, Marie didn't see the scowl that appeared on Bobby's face. Humming softly to herself, she walked up the steps and down the hallway to Scott's room, knocking softly on the door when she arrived.

"Scott? You in there?"

Scott, who had been sitting on his bed, head in his hands, suddenly looked up. Brow furrowing in confusion, he got up and crossed the room to his door and opened it. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened in surprise behind the shades as he found Rogue standing in the doorway, a tray of food in hand.

"Rogue? What are you doing here?"

"I brought you some breakfast," she replied with a smile. "I figured you could use it."

Scott blinked, showing his surprise, and moved aside to let Rogue inside. He watched as she put the tray down on the bed and looked over at him expectantly, smirking slightly.

"Well, are you just going to stand there all day? Or are you actually going to sit down and eat?"

Scott nodded and walked over to the bed, sitting down in a haze of grief. Picking up the sandwich, he took a bite, reveling in the feeling of getting some of his strength back. The two sat in silence as he ate, neither saying a word until the sandwich and orange juice in the glass was gone. Wiping his mouth on the napkin that had been sitting next to the plate, Scott trained his gaze on Rogue, the tiniest hint of a smile visible.

"Thank you," he said softly. "I needed that."

"I figured you did," Rogue replied, smiling back. "We're in the same boat, you know."

Scott nodded and looked down at the floor, feeling totally at a loss for words. Sighing, he got up and walked to the window, looking out at the grounds beyond the edge of the mansion. All of a sudden, Scott felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around to find Rogue standing there next to him. For the first time since she had entered his room, Scott noticed the signs of grief that had been present on his face start to show on hers. The beginning bars of Chicago's _Will You Still Love Me?_ began piping out of the radio that had been left on, and as recognition of the song hit the two of them, Rogue started to cry, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs. Without two seconds' thought, Scott pulled Marie to him, allowing her to cry on his shoulder. They stood there for a while, neither person knowing exactly how much time had passed before Rogue wiped her eyes and looked up at the leader of the X-Men.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall apart on you like that," Rogue said, still sniffling slightly.

"It's okay," Scott replied, still holding her to him. "We all need to cry sometimes. It helps make us feel better."

Sighing, Marie walked back over to the bed and sat down on the edge, putting her head in her hands. She wasn't crying any longer, but it was obvious that she was still very upset. Trying desperately to gain control of her emotions, she took a series of deep breaths, hoping that they would help calm her down and prevent her from starting to cry again. She felt the bed shift as Scott sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. With an audible sigh, Marie wiped her eyes once more and looked up at Scott.

"I must look like such a fool to you," Rogue choked out, a hint of laughter behind the tears. "Here I am, trying to cheer you up, and _I_ start to cry."

"Once again, it's okay," Scott said, a small smile gracing his handsome features. "It's the thought that counts anyway."

Sniffling slightly, Rogue accepted the tissue that Scott handed her and blew her nose. Leaning over, Rogue threw the tissue in the trash, hitting her head on the edge of one of the bedside tables with a WHACK as she straightened up. Clutching her head, Marie tried to stand up from the bed, wavered, and fell over, landing awkwardly on the floor. This time, the tears streaming from her eyes were from physical pain, rather than her out-of-control emotions. In a flash, Scott was sitting next to her on the floor, concern written clearly all over his face.

"Rogue, are you okay?"

When Marie didn't reply, just continued clutching her head, Scott raced out of the room, trying to find the nearest student. It turned out that the nearest student happened to be Jubilee, who was sitting on the bed in her room, talking with Kitty and popping her gum. Both girls looked up as Scott appeared in the doorway, looking completely and utterly frazzled – a huge difference from his normal calm, cool, and collected self.

"Woah, Mr. Summers, what's up? You look – " Jubilee began, but Scott cut her off.

"I need one of you to go and get Hank – Rogue's hurt."

Despite the fact that the two girls couldn't see it, panic was flashing across his eyes as he spoke.

"NOW!" he yelled, feeling desperate rather than angry as he left the girls' room and headed back to his own.

When Scott arrived back in his own room, Rogue was still sitting on the floor, clutching her head. However, she was looking extremely pale and her gloves were covered in a dark liquid that looked a lot like blood.

"Shit…" Scott said softly, moving quickly into the bathroom to fetch a towel.

Sitting down quietly on the floor next to Rogue, he grabbed one of her gloved hands and pulled it away from her hand, pressing a towel to the injured spot instead. She flinched as the towel made contact with her head, but calmed down after a minute. However, a look of pain was still clearly etched across her face.

"Hank's on his way – well, at least he is if Jubilee and Kitty gave him the message," Scott said with a small smile.

Rogue chuckled softly and turned her head slowly to look at Scott. Despite the fact that she couldn't see his eyes clearly, she could see the two bright spots through his shades where his eyes were. After a few moments, she dropped her gaze to the floor, although still speaking to him.

"Thank you. That's twice you've done something for me today – will I ever get the chance to do something in return?" Rogue asked, smiling at Scott.

"Eventually," he replied, returning the smile. "Right now, the top priority is making sure that your head is okay. Once we figure that out, we'll go from there. Okay?"

"Okay," Rogue replied, a true smile gracing her face for the first time that day.

At that moment, Hank entered the room, glasses perched low on his nose, doctor's kit in hand. He stood in the doorway for a few seconds, taking in the state of things: Scott on the floor, holding a towel to Marie's head, and Marie sitting so close to him that if she were any closer, she'd been in Scott's lap. Both were smiling, despite the current standings. Hank flashed a knowing smile as he walked over and kneeled next to Rogue.

'_There's a special bond between them – whether they know it now or not. They'll come to their senses soon enough,'_ Hank thought to himself as he unloaded cleanser from his kit.

"So, would either of you care to explain what happened here?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

"Well, I –" Marie began.

"She was –" Scott said.

The two turned and looked at one another, laughing at the hilarity of the situation that seemed funny only to them, almost like that of an inside joke. Scott gestured with the free hand that wasn't holding the towel to Marie's hand for her to speak. Smiling back at him, she nodded.

"I leaned over to throw a tissue into the trash can, and when I went to stand up, I hit my head on the dresser. Stupid piece of furniture," Marie said contemptuously, throwing a glare at the dresser in question.

Hank nodded, not saying a word as he moved over to examine Rogue's head. As he moved pieces of her hair out of the way, he noticed that a huge chunk of her scalp was missing, presumably from the wrath of the dresser. Placing the towel back on her head for the moment, he rummaged around in his bag, looking for – what, Scott and Rogue didn't know. A minute or so later, Hank straightened up, an ointment of sorts in one hand and bandages in the other.

"This might hurt a bit," Hank said as he put some of the ointment on a clean cloth and rubbed it on Rogue's wound.

"OUCH!" Marie yelled, moving to get up at the first sign of pain.

Scott, however, had no intention of letting Rogue go without being treated. Grabbing her shoulders lightly, he squeezed – not hard enough to hurt or leave a bruise, but enough to let her know without words that she needed to sit still. Breathing somewhat heavily, Marie sank back down on her knees, trying desperately to think the pain away. As Hank applied the cloth to her head once more she hissed in pain, but remained where she was, Scott's hands still on her shoulders, this time more for support than restraint.

"That really _hurts_," Marie hissed through gritted teeth. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost," Hank replied, and two seconds later, removed the now-bloodstained cloth from her head.

Shutting her eyes, Marie tried to collect herself. Her head _really hurt_ at this point, and she wanted nothing more than for Hank to finish so she could go down to the med lab and fetch herself some advil. His hands still resting on her shoulders, Scott could feel the tenseness throughout Marie's body. Trying to convey the fact that Hank was almost through, he squeezed her shoulders again, his thumbs rubbing small circles just above her joints. He couldn't take the pain away like Logan could, but he was going to try his best to do everything else.

Smiling to himself, Hank had that knowing look in his eyes as he put a bandage on Rogue's head and proceeded to cover the spot with a wrap. He knew the two had much to work out on their own, and he wasn't going to interfere as Mother Nature ran its course. They'd figure it out in their own good time, _that_ he was sure of.

"Okay, all finished," Hank said as he stood up, smiling at the two. "Try to avoid getting the bandages wet for the next two days or so. If the spot starts to itch, whatever you do, _do not scratch_. Come to me and I'll administer something to help ease the itch. If you scratch, it will only make the wound take longer to heal. The longer it takes to heal, the longer you must wear the bandage, understand?"

"Yes, Hank," Rogue replied with an exasperated tone and a smile on her face.

"Good girl," Hank said, and with a wink at Scott, he left the room.

Sighing audibly, Marie shifted so that she wasn't leaning on her knees anymore. The pressure had turned the skin around her knees red, and they were starting to sting. Exhaling loudly, she brought a hand up to touch the bandage, but her hand was intercepted before it reached her head. Scott had grabbed it, all too aware that the pair of gloves she was wearing was most likely ruined from being drenched in blood. Putting his hands back on her shoulders, Scott spoke.

"Don't touch the bandage; it'll only make it a habit. You heard Hank, the more you play with it, the longer it'll take to heal."

Turning around on the floor so that she was facing Scott, she sent a glare his way, one that turned quickly into a smile. Laughing slightly to herself, the smile melted off her face as Marie looked down at her now-ruined gloves. Scott, having watched this closely, put a hand on top of one of hers.

"Do you have another pair of gloves you can change into?" he asked. "I don't think you really want to walk around for the rest of the day in a pair of bloody gloves, do you?"

"No, that wouldn't be too nice, would it?" Rogue asked, her smile matching his own. "And yeah, I have another pair. They're in my room, though."

The silence that followed was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Despite the fact that Marie had just injured her head pretty badly, Scott had managed to distract her from the ever-present problem of Logan leaving. She had a feeling that if she left his room and his presence, the problem would come back to her like a shadow follows someone around on a sunny day. However, she really wanted to get out of the bloody gloves…

"I'm gonna go change my gloves," Marie said softly, looking back and forth between Scott and the door. "Thanks for the distraction."

"You're quite welcome," Scott said, smiling at her. "However, next time you want a distraction, I'd prefer if you didn't injure yourself to do it."

"I'd kinda prefer that too," she replied, nodding. "Well, I'll see ya."

"See you, Rogue."

Rogue was halfway out the bedroom door as Scott replied, but when he finished speaking, she turned back around to look at him.

"Marie," she said.

"What?" Scott asked, puzzled.

"My name's Marie," Rogue said, smiling at him for a few seconds before leaving Scott to his own thoughts.

* * *

September 12th, 2006 – 2:15 PM, My Bedroom

Well, I'm sitting here on my bed with a throbbing headache from the stupid dresser, listening to Kitty and Jubilee chatter away, but for some reason, I feel insanely happy. I shouldn't feel happy, y'know? I injured my head not too long ago (and it hurts like a BITCH!), I have to wear the bandage on my head for at least three weeks according to Hank, and Logan left this morning with Jean. However, I _am_ happy. It sounds really weird, like I'm off-balance or something, but it's true. I don't know what specifically has me so happy, but I can narrow it down to the fact that it has something to do with Scott.

Hmm. I've known the man for a good three or four years now, but I've never felt this way before. I mean, I'm in his class, I eat meals at the same table as him, and I've even trained in the Danger Room with him. But I've never had this reaction before. Maybe it's the bump on the head. Nah, that can't be it. Something about bringing him food made me happy. Maybe I've just finally lost it. I don't know. Whatever the case, for some insane reason, I feel like maybe this day won't be so bad after all. I'll just have to wait and see.

Nobody knows what the future will bring,

Marie

* * *

**A/N: **This is only my second X-Men fic, and I hope you like it. I'm nowhere near finished with it - this is only the beginning. Please push the pretty little purple button and leave me a review! Thanks so much! 


	2. Chapter 2

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the X-Men or any related characters - they belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics. I'm just borrowing them for my own enjoyment. Although if Scott was mine...

September 15th, 2006 – 5:25 AM, the backyard of the Xavier Mansion

Okay, you might ask why I'm writing in my journal at 5:25 AM. Or you might ask why I'm _outside_ at 5:25 AM. Well, both are legitimate questions. I'm outside at 5:25 AM writing in my journal because I wanted to watch the sun rise. I couldn't sleep anyway, but that's not the point. I've always thought that sunrises are so pretty – the sky turns all different shades of purples, pinks, and reds before the sun gets high enough in the sky to gild everything a heavenly shade of gold. When I was younger, my mom and I used to watch the sun rise at least once a year in Mississippi. It was one of the few things we still shared when I got to be a teenager, something I treasured despite the rifts in everything else.

Wait, footsteps! I hear them, but it's still too dark to figure out who it is. The sun hasn't started to rise from between the trees yet. Maybe it's just an animal and I'm totally paranoid. Psht. Oh, wait. The footsteps haven't stopped – it's not an animal, I'm sure of that. It's times like these where I'm glad that I've absorbed Logan in the past – better hearing. I can rule out Hank and Piotr – their footsteps are heavier than these. And I can rule out Kitty and Jubilee as well – Kitty's footsteps are too light and Jubilee is too loud. Whoever it is, they're really close now. I better go. I'll write more later.

* * *

Rogue stood up, tucking the fuzzy pen inside the journal as she did so. Turning around so that she was facing the mansion, her gaze swept back and forth from one side of the backyard to the other, trying desperately to make out a figure in the darkness. Suddenly, Rogue jumped as she heard a twig crack behind her, whirling around to face the direction the noise had come from. As she scanned the backyard in the shadows, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist, causing her to scream.

"AHH!"

The figure who had grabbed Rogue put a hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her for the moment, at the same time speaking softly in her right ear.

"Do you want to wake everyone in the entire mansion?"

Rogue sucked in a breath as the person dropped the hand that was covering her mouth, letting it come down to rest on her hip. Whirling around, she confronted her would-be attacker.

"Scott!"

Scott looked down at Rogue, smiling. Her eyes lit up in the early morning sunlight, and the light reflected off of his shades. Despite the fact that he could only see in shades of red, Scott could tell that the sky was multi-colored at the moment, going from the darker shades that he assumed to be the blues and purples to the lighter shades, which were the reds and oranges. One of his hands still rested on her hip while the other yanked her hair playfully (she had it pulled up in a ponytail with a golden ribbon).

"So, what brings you out here this early?" Scott asked, still smiling as he sat down on the grass.

"I was gonna watch the sun rise," Marie replied as she sat down next to him.

"Mind if I join you?"

Marie smiled at Scott, her gaze trained on his ruby-quartz shades. Reaching up, Scott pushed a stray piece of hair out of Marie's eyes and tucked it behind her ear. Marie then shifted so that she was leaning back against Scott, using him as a makeshift chair of sorts.

"Not at all. Company actually might be nice," Marie said, her voice getting softer with each word, her southern drawl present in the early morning.

The two sat in silence for a while, just watching the sky's colors lighten further and further. After about fifteen or twenty minutes without a word having passed between them, Scott spoke up.

"How's your head been doing?" he asked softly, as if afraid that speaking up might break the peace that had settled like a spell around them.

"It's gotten better. But as Hank suspected, it itches like the dickens," Marie said, leaning back so that she could see his face and smiling at him.

"Well, don't scratch it," Scott said, grinning at her. "There are other things you could do instead as a distraction."

Scott's eyes gleamed behind his shades, and Marie caught the look. She had never seen him look at her that way before. It was different…powerful. It was almost as if he made her internal temperature rise a few degrees just with that one look. And to Marie, it felt wonderful. There was no other word for it. Even though it had only been three days since Logan left, in the current moment, it felt like it didn't matter. Right now, it wasn't important that the two most important people in their lives had left. Right now, it was just them.

Taking a look at his watch, Scott noticed that despite the fact that the sun wasn't even close to being up yet, it was almost seven o'clock. He shifted slightly so as to regain some of the feeling in his right leg, and the shift caused Marie to turn around and look at him questioningly.

"What?" she asked simply.

"Nothing," he replied, pulling her back to him once more. "I was just trying to get the blood flowing to my legs again, that's all."

"Oh, well, if you want me to move…" Marie trailed off and began getting up, but stopped when Scott grabbed her arm.

"No, that's not it at all. I just had to shift a little. You're fine how you were. Please, sit back down," Scott said, his eyes behind the shades conveying the message '_Don't leave'_ all too clearly.

"All right," Marie replied slowly as she sat back down.

This time, instead of having Marie lean against his side sitting up, Scott pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her, as if trying to protect her from the non-existent cold. It hit Marie at that moment that Scott needed her friendship as much as she needed his. Each was an anchor to the real world for the other, an anchor that they desperately needed, lest the world crumble beneath them.

With Scott's arms around her, Marie leaned back against him, breathing deeply. The morning was so still around them, peaceful. For the first time since Logan and Jean left the mansion three days agree, Marie felt truly at peace. Her heartbeat had slowed down since Scott had snuck up on her earlier, and her breathing had evened out. The birds were starting to chirp their morning songs, and movement was starting to be heard from inside the mansion. Everything in Marie's world was going right for once.

Scott noticed for the first time, looking down at the girl in his arms, how important Marie actually was to him. Four years ago, when Marie had been brought to the mansion with Logan, she had been just another student to him, no one of the utmost importance. Ever since Jean and Logan left, however, Scott had begun noticing her wherever he went around the mansion, watching out for her protectively. It was almost as if she was the key to his getting over Jean. Sighing softly, Scott rested his chin on Marie's shoulder. He felt her move for a moment, then settle back down again, much like a kitten when interrupted from its afternoon nap. Wrapping his arms even more tightly around her body, Scott felt at home for the first time in almost a year.

The two were so at peace with one another and the world that they didn't even notice Bobby stick his head out of the kitchen window, a scowl very pronounced on his face. Technically, he had no right to be jealous – he and Rogue weren't dating anymore. However, he still had feelings for her. He felt _he_ should be the one comforting Rogue in the absence of Logan, not Scott. Bobby had never had a problem with Scott before – in fact, the two had gotten along very well. This, however, might end up being the straw that broke the camel's back for him. Still scowling, Bobby stuck his head back inside and went about making his breakfast.

As the kitchen window clicked shut, Marie's head turned toward the sound, causing Scott to jump in alarm.

"What is it?" he asked, concern in his voice.

"Nothing," Marie replied, shaking her head. "Somebody just shut the kitchen window, that's all."

Taking a shaky breath, Scott shifted so that he could look at his watch again. 7:28 AM. Sighing to himself, he was upset with the knowledge that classes started at 8:30 each morning. If he had been the Professor, he could have changed the times… Sighing again, Scott moved his arms back around Marie, leaning his chin back on her shoulder. Marie noticed the change in his demeanor and called him on it.

"Scott, what's wrong?"

"Almost 7:30," he replied softly. "If you want breakfast before class, we have to get up."

Something inside of Marie told her it would almost be worth skipping breakfast to stay here longer with Scott. If it wasn't for the fact that she would pass out if she didn't eat, she would have stayed. However, she knew that they both had to get up and head inside. Sighing audibly, Marie scrambled out of Scott's lap and stretched as she stood up. Scott followed suit, his gaze never leaving Marie. As the two began walking back toward the mansion, Scott broke the silence that had settled between them.

"Here, tell you what. We still have time before classes – d'you want breakfast?" Scott asked. "I'll cook."

Marie's eyes lit up as she turned to look at Scott. Before Jean had run off with Logan, she had always raved about Scott's cooking. It was almost like a secret that everyone knew about but had never been in on. However, having heard that he made a mean French toast, Marie jumped on the idea.

"French toast?" Marie asked hopefully, her eyes sparkling.

"Sure, Marie," Scott replied, chuckling at her tone.

Slinging an arm around her shoulders, Scott and Marie headed back inside the mansion to have a wonderful breakfast before classes.

* * *

September 15th – 1:15 PM, Rec Room

I'm starting to think Bobby's jealous of me. Or of Scott, I'm not quite sure which. All I know is that when I went to talk to him after math today (Scott teaches math, by the way), he gave me this really cold stare and walked away without a word. It's really not like him, and it bothers me. Maybe I'm just overreacting. Hopefully that's the case, but I highly doubt it.

Scott just smiled at me as he walked into the kitchen. Bobby just glared at him. I know I'm not imagining things now. Bobby's _jealous_. I don't believe it. Why would he be jealous of Scott? Scott's never posed as a threat to him before…oh, _now_ I see it. He thinks that all the time Scott and I have spent together lately will make us become a _couple_. I don't know why, but the thought of Scott and I being an '_us_' instead of '_Scott and I_' makes me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside…sort of like when you've had too much wine. It's a nice feeling…cathartic, even. Whatever the case, it has me worried. The eternal question: Scott or Bobby? But Scott hasn't even offered the option of an '_us_' yet, so I don't know if I'll have to choose at all. However, if I had to make the decision now….I don't know. I know of one thing for sure, though. I think I have a crush on Scott.

Trouble, feel free to come and find me now. You know where I live. Second door on the right at the top of the main stairs. My old friend, aren't you, trouble? Why am I even talking like it's a real thing? Maybe because I think it'll help me feel better. Humor's always a good fallback. Why am I talking to myself? I think this thing with Scott and Bobby is driving me insane. Help me, diary! I think I'll go talk to Hank. He's always been a really good listener. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

Welcoming trouble with open arms,

Marie

* * *

**A/N:** Hopefully you enjoyed the second chapter. I seem to be on a roll here. Hopefully I'll be able to get the third chapter out soon. Please read and review - I'd love to hear what you guys think! Thanks again! 


	3. Chapter 3

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own X-Men or any of the related characters - they belong to Stan Lee and Marvel Comics. If I did own them, I'd be rich by now (which, in case you can't tell, I'm not!)

**A/N:** I hope you liked the third chapter of the story. The next couple of chapters might not be up as soon as these have: I start work in a few days. Please leave more reviews: I love to hear from you guys!

**Selar:** I hope you liked Hank in this chapter - I try to include many other characters other than Scott and Rogue. He's a cool character, if you ask me.

**Lunafan:** I try to be witty, people tend to like it. Thanks for reviewing!

**Summers-Spirit:** Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Hopefully, this one is just as good.

**msenterprise:** Thanks for reviewing, it's always apprieciated. BTW, are you a Star Trek fan? 'Cause I am, and if you are, I'd love to chat.

**x.kiss.the.girl:** Thanks SO MUCH, Nicky! I'm glad you like it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the last.

Thanks again all of you for reviewing - I'd love to hear from you again!

* * *

September 21st, 2006 – 1:05 PM, Med Lab

I realize that I haven't written in a while, diary, but I have a fair reason. What's the reason, you ask? Well, the reason is that I've been unconscious for the past three days. I just woke up – almost literally, I woke up two hours ago or so, and Hank's been fussing over me since then. This is the first time I've been able to pick up my diary and write. Not to mention that it hurts the way I'm sitting – broken ribs don't make it easy to sit up straight, y'know. Ouch. It hurts to sigh, too. I can't even sigh without being in pain. What is the world coming to these days?

I suppose you want to hear the story as to _how_ I landed myself in the Med Lab unconscious for three days. Well, here goes. Ever since Alkali Lake, I'd been wondering if the Professor would offer Bobby, Kitty, Jubilee and I spots on the team as real members, not just junior ones who you had to tell "Be careful" or "Leave the big jobs to us," 'us' being the teachers and older members of the mansion. Well, come mid-August, he did. (The Alkali Lake incident was in June.) Being a member of the X-Men meant going away on missions, so when the call came in three days ago to go investigate a possible mutant in California, we went, flying the Blackbird to sunny San Francisco. (Scott had taught me how to fly the X-Jet over the months after I crashed it at Alkali Lake. Good thing, too. You never know when they'll hand the controls over to you.)

So we flew to San Francisco. It's actually a very nice place – I've always wanted to go, but never got the chance growing up. Well, now I can say I've been there. However, I wish I could say I enjoyed myself. I wouldn't call getting beat up by the members of the Brotherhood enjoyable. So, using the coordinates Professor Xavier had given us, we landed the jet in Golden Gate Park, shielding it under the cover of darkness. The mutant was supposedly living not far away from where we landed, so we set out to find her. (Xavier had told us that the mutant was a little girl named Star Channing, about eight years old, who could supposedly control light and energy.) After about ten minutes of walking, we found the girl's house. Scott and Storm began trying to explain the concept of Xavier's school to Star's parents while Kitty, Jubilee, Bobby, and I set out to find the girl. However, during that time, we found out that Xavier wasn't the only one interested in Star's abilities: Magneto and a few members of the Brotherhood were at the Channings' front door.

As you can most likely imagine, Magneto did not drag himself and four of his Brotherhood members (Callisto, Spyke, Juggernaut, and Mystique) to the Channings' front step just to chat. It began with a glaring match between Juggernaut and Scott as Magneto tried to calmly explain the facts to the Channings. Five minutes later, a full fight had broken out. I can't explain it all clearly – it's a mess in my head. I distinctly remember fighting with Callisto (and kicking her ASS!) before getting hit by Juggernaut. The force of his blow knocked me back into the wall, the wound on my head from the previous week reopening. Two seconds later, everything went black. The next thing I knew, I had woken up this morning in the Med Lab, Hank fussing over my vitals and Scott sitting calmly by my side. He's still here, as a matter of fact – he just smiled at me. Hank went back to his research in the opposite corner of the lab – although he's made me promise not to leave the lab when he's not looking. I'm sure Scott'll make sure I keep my promise. He may be a stick in the mud sometimes when it comes to rules, but all in all, he's a good guy.

Scott just said something to me, and I totally wasn't paying attention. I'll write more later when I don't have to worry about tuning people out.

* * *

Marie looked up from her diary, closing the book slowly and sitting it down next to her on the bed. Shifting slightly, Marie winced as she straightened up. Taking a breath, she looked up at Scott, trying to hide the grimace of pain behind a smile. 

"What did you say, sugar? I wasn't listening," Marie said apologetically.

"I asked if you wanted some of the pain pills that Hank offered you earlier," Scott replied, the fluorescent lighting of the Med Lab reflecting off his shades.

Rogue debated with herself for a minute – even with what was left of Logan's healing abilities, she still was in a lot of pain. His power definitely wasn't enough to overturn the pain of broken ribs and a sprained left ankle.

"Yeah, painkillers would be nice."

Nodding, Scott got up from his chair and walked over to the opposite corner of the lab where Hank was currently looking into the electron microscope. As Scott tapped Hank on the shoulder, Bobby walked into the lab, his gaze picking out Rogue within five seconds. Walking over to her, a smile on his face, he spoke.

"Hey, Rogue. How're you feeling?"

It was obvious, despite the smile on Bobby's face, that he was concerned. He had gone on the mission with the X-Men, after all, so he had witnessed Rogue's accident firsthand. Marie also noticed something flash across his eyes as he waited for her to respond; something that looked an awful lot like jealousy.

"I feel like I've been hit by a truck," Marie replied, her small chuckle of laughter turning quickly into a grimace of pain. "Juggernaut really does pack a punch."

"Yes, he sure does," Bobby replied, holding up his right hand, which was wrapped in an ace bandage. "He's number one on my 'People to Avoid' list."

Marie smiled at Bobby's retort as Scott walked back over to the bio-bed with a glass of water and two caplets of painkillers. Smiling, his gaze traveled from Bobby to Marie and back, his brain trying to determine what to make of the situation. Finally deciding that it would be best not to comment, he handed Marie the glass and pills without a word.

"Thanks, Scott," Marie replied, downing the pills in one gulp.

"You're welcome."

Looking back and forth between Bobby and Scott, Marie scooted herself slowly across the bio-bed, swinging her legs over the side, looking as if she wanted to step down. Clutching her chest because her ribs ached, Marie grimaced.

"Can I go? I'd really like to go up to the kitchen and have somethin' to eat," Marie said, looking back and forth from Scott to Hank, who had ambled over quietly, to Bobby.

"Well, I would advise against it, but -" Hank began, but Marie cut him off.

"Please, Hank? I've been down here for three straight hours since I woke up – I'd really like to see some new scenery."

Marie looked up at Hank with pleading eyes. It was true; she really was getting bored of sitting in the Med Lab with nothing else to do other than write in her diary. Writing in her diary could only occupy Rogue for so long; after all, there was only so much one person could say. Feeling that it wouldn't be kind to keep Rogue cooped up for longer than was necessary, Hank nodded.

"You may go…_on one condition_," Hank said, looking at Marie seriously. "You must have someone with you at all times to make sure that no harm comes to you. I would also advise using crutches to get around the mansion; it will not be easy walking around on a sprained ankle."

Rogue nodded at Hank. She was upset at the fact that she needed to have someone follow her everywhere – _'18 year olds don't need babysitters!'_ Marie thought to herself – but she was willing to accept the terms because when it came to making sure his patients were okay, Hank wouldn't negotiate. The rules he put down were set in stone. The only time Marie had seen Hank let the rules slide were when Logan had been hurt during one of the battles after Alkali Lake – Logan had refused to stay in the Med Lab, and Hank didn't have the power to restrain him and make him follow the rules. Logan was a rule unto himself, it seemed.

Nodding once more, Marie jumped down from the bio-bed, putting all of her weight on her right foot and resting her arms on the edge of the bed to steady herself. Hank had gone off to one of the cabinets that stood along the right wall of the Med Lab to fetch a pair of crutches, and Bobby was looking at Rogue as if struggling with an internal debate, whether or not to offer assistance. After about five seconds, it seemed that he had made up his mind.

"Rogue, do you need any help getting to the kitchen?" Bobby asked, extending an arm towards Marie.

Scott, who had been standing silently next to the bed during this whole discussion, felt jealousy flare up on the inside at Bobby's offer of help. It startled him somewhat that a simple offer of helping Marie upstairs to the kitchen should cause such a violent show of emotion to arise. It wasn't like they were dating or anything – he and Marie were just friends, just like she was with Bobby. _'Why then,'_ Scott asked himself, _'do I feel so jealous of him?'_ The answer came two seconds later: _'I'm jealous because I like her…'_

Meanwhile, Rogue had shaken her head 'no' to Bobby. Smiling at him, she replied.

"I don't need any help," Marie replied, taking the crutches that Hank offered her – he had returned ten seconds earlier. "Thanks, though."

Bobby blinked as if to give himself some extra time to formulate a response. Smiling, he nodded.

"Okay. Anytime, Rogue."

Nodding to himself again, Bobby left the Med Lab, looking slightly lost. Hank looked at Marie once more to make sure that she was in an okay condition to leave the lab, and when he was satisfied, returned to examining the specimen under the electron microscope, leaving Scott and Marie together in silence. Shifting her weight slightly, Marie hobbled so that she was facing the door. Smiling to himself, Scott stepped closer, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't need any help getting upstairs?" he asked, friendly concern on his face.

"Yeah, I should be fine," Marie replied, stepping off with her good foot.

However, the lighting in the lab was such that she didn't see a puddle of water that had been spilled earlier. As her foot landed in it and she went to push off on her crutches, Marie slipped. Eyes widening, Scott moved in a flash, catching Marie before she fell. The clutches clattered to the floor as Hank came over, glasses sliding off the end of his nose. Scott helped Marie to her feet, allowing her to lean on his shoulder for support.

"Are you all right, my dear?" Hank asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"Yeah," Marie said, clutching a hand to her chest. "Well, at least I think. My chest hurts a lot more than it did five minutes ago, but that's to be expected."

Scott helped Marie back to the bio-bed, Hank following in close pursuit. When she was seated, Dr. McCoy began another thorough examination of his patient, taking the extra precaution to make sure that Marie hadn't acquired any extra injuries in the accident. Twenty minutes later, Hank stepped back a few steps, nodding to himself. Scott was standing next to the bed, Marie's hand in his.

"Well, everything seems to be in satisfactory order. However, this time, I think I'm going to have to suggest a wheelchair. I don't want you taking a spill down the stairs or having an accident similar to the one that just occurred," Hank said, nodding.

"A wheelchair!" Marie exclaimed, outraged. "Hank, I shouldn't have to use a wheelchair! I'm perfectly capable of – "

"It seems, based upon the accident half an hour previous, that you are not."

"But – "

"No buts, young lady. If you want to leave this lab at all, you have to use the wheelchair, and that's final," Hank replied, looking sternly at Rogue.

Scott had been standing silently next to Marie throughout the entire exchange. He knew from experience that Hank was unyielding when it came to obeying his rules. However, ideas had been chasing themselves around his brain that might be able to circumvent the new law that Hank had just laid down… _'Either way, it's worth a try,'_ Scott thought to himself. Making up his mind, Scott spoke up.

"What if I carried her to the kitchen?"

Simultaneously, Hank and Marie's heads turned toward Scott, wearing similar yet different expressions. Hank was looking at Scott with a look of surprise, though it was obvious through his features and his stance that he was considering the idea; Marie also had an expression of shock, her eyes wide, and a faint blush was also visible on her face.

"I _suppose_ that would be acceptable," Hank replied, still mulling the thought over in his head as he spoke. "Just…be careful."

Scott grinned at Hank, who smiled back, a knowing glint in his eyes.

'_They'll figure it out eventually,'_ Hank thought to himself as Scott offered his hand to Marie. _'Sooner rather than later, hopefully. As long as things continue along this course, everything will turn out beautifully.'_

As Scott offered Marie his hand, she scooted herself back to the edge of the bio-bed, ready to try leaving the lab once more. Scott was grinning, his eyes glinting behind ruby-red shades. Smiling shyly in return, Marie took his hand and stepped down onto the floor, once again placing her weight on her right foot. Before she could take another step, Scott had swept her up into his arms, bridal style. Waving a small goodbye to Hank, Scott carried Marie out of the Med Lab.

* * *

September 21st, 2006 – 10:15 PM, My Bedroom 

_Wow_. Yeah, what a way to start a diary entry, leaving the person reading it no clue whatsoever what I'm talking about. Well, I'll let you in on the news. I admit it; I _definitely_ have a crush on Scott, and a huge one at that. I thought I had it all figured out after I finished the last diary entry, we were just friends and nothing more. However, after having him carry me bridal style up to the kitchen because I couldn't walk myself (and I sure as hell didn't want to have to wheel myself around like Professor Xavier – no offense, sir!), I knew that saying we were just friends was pure bull. The tension between us is so thick, you could cut it with a butter knife. A _butter knife_!

Scott's always been my friend, almost like a big protective brother. Or at least, that's how I _used_ to see him. I definitely don't see him as brother material right now. After carrying me to the kitchen and staying with me while I ate a sandwich (which _he_ made, by the way!), we sat and watched movies for almost five hours. We got through Lilo and Stitch, Forrest Gump, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It was awesome – maybe I should suggest watching horror movies next time (even though he probably knows I hate them – they're scary. But then again, curling up with a cute guy during a horror movie is the whole point: you pay attention to the _guy_, not the movie.)

Bobby definitely wasn't happy about the time Scott and I spent together today. He had offered earlier to help me get up to the kitchen to get food, and I had turned him down. How was I to know that somebody had spilled something on the lab floor and I was going to trip! (Oh, and did I mention that Scott caught me!) Okay, maybe I'm going a little overboard here. He still might be in love with Jean. But what if he's not? Oh dear, now I'm not going to sleep at _all_ tonight. Why can't my life just be simple, with the _one_ Prince Charming who comes and sweeps the _one_ Princess off her feet? In fairy tales, there are no jealous friends (Bobby) or angry protectors (Logan, if he chooses to come back, 'cause I know that's how he'll act) in the equation. It's just the two people, madly in love, who live happily ever after. Just because I'm Rogue the Untouchable doesn't mean I can't be a die-hard romantic at heart. Everybody has secrets, okay?

Well, it's getting kind of late. I have homework that I have to get up early to do – just because you're unconscious in the Med Lab doesn't get you out of the work you missed. I'll write more soon.

Dreaming of Scott,

Marie


	4. Chapter 4

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, not mine, you get the idea.

**A/N:** I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one just as much. Starting tomorrow, I might not be able to get new chapters up as quickly as these have gone up - I start my new job tomorrow. However, I will try my best to get them written and posted in a timely manner. Enjoy this chapter, and please review!

**lunafan:** I don't really like Bobby's character either, which is why I chose to make him the jealous ex. Hopefully, he doesn't get in the way of Scott and Marie... :) I'm glad you like the style of writing - I tried to make it believeable and at the same time, fun to read. Hope you like this chapter - lots of romance on the way!

**emma134:** I'm glad you think it's cute. I happen to _like_ cute, thank you very much. I happen to be a die-hard romantic. Here's the next chapter- hope you like!

* * *

September 24th, 2006 – 10:55 AM, the Library

I'm in the library because I needed a place where I could torture myself in peace. (I would be in my room, but Jubilee and Kitty are there, and I didn't want to share this with them just yet.) I, Anna-Marie D'Canto, member of the X-Men, am a fool and a coward. Why am I mentally beating myself up and calling myself names, you ask? I'll tell you why. I'm mentally beating myself up and calling myself names because Scott Summers kissed me and I ran away. I am SUCH A COWARD!

Yes, Scott kissed me. I had gotten up early because I couldn't sleep (three guesses _why_) and had decided to wander the mansion a bit. Having gotten dressed for the day (it was only 7:30 at the time), I could wander anywhere, so I decided to visit some of the places I don't normally see during the week (i.e. the hangar, garage, etc.). By the time I got to the garage, it was quarter to eight, and I wasn't the only one there. Scott was standing over one of the old motorcycles, clad in only a pair of sweatpants and a muscle shirt (which showed off every contour of his body – DAMN! I was practically _drooling_.), a wrench in his right hand. When the door to the garage slammed shut, he turned toward the direction of the sound, frowning. The frown quickly turned into a smile upon seeing who it was, though. We talked for a few minutes before Scott asked if I wanted to help him fix the bike. I, Marie, do not know how to fix bikes or even the first thing about mechanics. The Logan in my head, however, _does_, so I happily told Scott yes.

We worked on that bike for almost two and a half hours! I never knew there was so much depth to mechanics before this. Anyway, the bike was finished and we were both filthy. I don't think I've ever been this dirty before in my life – including when I was younger and used to make mud pies for my mother! Well, evidently I had gotten some motor oil on my face during the course of us fixing the bike, so Scott went to wipe it off. (Ever since the day in the Med Lab, he had taken to carrying around a pair of gloves in his back pocket (_ISN'T THAT SWEET?)_, and as of that moment, he was wearing them.) He got the spot off – we stood there looking at one another for what felt like an eternity before either of us moved – and then he leaned in and kissed me. I swear to God, time _stopped_. Well, it stopped at least until my powers kicked in and started sucking him dry. We broke apart and Scott had to grab onto the bike to stop himself from falling over. I instinctively closed my eyes, feeling the telltale burn behind my eyes that meant I had taken some of Scott's powers.

The next twenty minutes or so (leading up to me sitting here in the library writing this) is pretty much a blur. I remember Scott telling me to lie back on the garage floor and stay still – he'd be right back. Ten minutes later, he had returned with a spare pair of his glasses for me, as well as Hank, who was looking extremely worried. When Hank said he wanted to take me down to the Med Lab (I seem to be seeing an awful lot of that place lately, don't I?), Scott offered to come. I told him politely that he didn't have to, that I would be okay by myself. (He looked upset and almost disappointed when I told him – that was my first mistake.) So I went down to the Med Lab, complete with red shades (now I know what it's like to see through Scott's eyes – it's really weird), and by the time I got there, it seemed that the entire mansion knew of my accident (although they didn't seem to know that my accident involved Scott and I kissing, THANK GOD! The last thing I need right now is more attention.) When Hank released me from the lab ten minutes after arriving, I headed straight to the library (mistake #2) and I've been sitting here ever since. I really should have talked to Scott first thing after getting released from the lab. Now I feel really guilty. He's probably worried sick. I'm gonna go talk to him. After all, I have to let him know he won't be getting his spare pair of shades back for another day or two – Hank's orders. Better to talk to him soon, rather than later. I'll update you on the situation later, diary.

* * *

Marie shut her diary, at the same time pushing Scott's spare glasses farther up her nose. They had been falling down the entire time she had been writing; it seemed that they fell anytime she looked down. Taking a deep breath, Marie stood up from the couch on which she had been sitting and exited the library, all too aware that her clothes were stained with motor oil and smelled of gasoline. Walking down the hallway, Marie was glad that it was approaching lunchtime – lunchtime meant everyone was either out or in the kitchen. The fewer people that were around when she confronted Scott, the easier it would be for her to apologize. As Marie entered the underground level of the mansion, she passed the hangar and Med Lab without a second glance. The only thing that was important right now was the garage, where she had left Scott. Taking another deep breath, Rogue pushed open the door to the garage and walked inside, closing it quietly behind her.

At first, it seemed to Marie that the garage was empty. The thought crossed her mind that she might have blown her one and only chance with Scott, and a tear made its way silently down Marie's cheek. Looking around, feeling her chest tighten at the threat of an onslaught of tears, she finally noticed that the hood to Scott's blue Benz in the corner was up. Feeling relief wash over her like a tidal wave, Marie made her way over to the Benz silently. Scott hadn't changed his clothes during the time she had been gone; he was bending over the engine, a thoughtful expression on his face. Reaching down, he pulled a pair of pliers from a box on the floor by his feet as Marie spoke.

"Scott?"

It was obvious that Scott had heard her – his hand, which had been about to clamp a wire shut, stilled – but he otherwise made no motion to acknowledge Marie's presence in the garage. She waited a few more seconds (seconds that felt like years), hoping that he'd answer her, but to no avail. Another tear made its way silently down Marie's cheek, followed by another. Sighing deeply, trying to ward off a crying fit, she spoke.

"I know you're angry at me, Scott."

"What gave you that clue!" Scott yelled, whirling around to face Marie as his voice echoed off the garage walls.

Marie had flinched when he yelled at her, but she had stood her ground. Scott's normally calm, cool, and collected demeanor was completely gone to be replaced with fury. Dropping the pliers he had been using back in the box with a _clink_, he walked over to the motorcycle the two of them had been working on earlier. Marie turned on the spot to watch Scott's movements, looking on with a combination of interest and sorrow as he opened the garage door and wheeled the bike outside. The weather outside seemed to reflect Marie's mood: the wind was blowing and threatening-looking rain clouds hung overhead. Making up her mind, Marie quickly ran outside after Scott as he straddled the bike, sticking the keys in the ignition and kicking the engine to life, as if he was considering riding off into the darkness.

"Scott, wait!" Marie cried, running out of the garage towards where the bike sat in the driveway, ignoring the first few drops of rain that had begun to fall.

As of this point, a fair number of students had come out onto the front lawn to witness the argument between the two older mutants; there were also a few that were watching from behind open windows and doors on the inside of the mansion. Scott and Marie weren't aware of them, however; they were both too caught up in the argument to notice. Scott revved up the bike and had driven about fifty feet when he heard Marie yell again. Killing the engine, he let the bike coast to a stop, turning it around to face the mansion as the rain continued to fall. When Marie finally caught up with the bike, Scott fixed her with a glare that could make the mighty Wolverine cower in fear.

"Scott, I'm sorry!" Marie yelled, trying to make herself heard over the ever-increasing rain – it was currently a steady rain that was soaking their clothing. "I should have talked to you first."

Stepping off the bike and leaving the keys in the ignition, Scott moved closer to where Rogue stood. However, he left a good five feet of distance between them to show that he was still angry. Even if he had crossed the distance, his stance and expression radiated pure anger. Every line of his face was crisp and straight, and the tension radiating from his body was obvious even to those outside the mansion thirty feet away from the two older mutants.

"Why should I forgive you? You didn't want me to come with you to the Med Lab, and once Hank certified you were okay, you didn't even let me know! Why should I forgive you?" Scott asked coldly, ignoring the rain, which was quickly becoming a steady downpour. "Give me one good reason."

Without even taking time to think about the possible consequences of what she was doing, Marie crossed the distance between the two of them and kissed Scott, pulling him to her. It was a kiss worthy of those in storybooks: time seemed to stop for the two of them, and the only thing that mattered was them. She broke the contact between them before her mutation could kick in, pointedly ignoring the raging storm that was dumping what felt like bucketfuls of pouring rain on the two of them. Looking up at Scott, Marie noticed that his expression had softened. He wasn't smiling, but he didn't seem to exude anger, either.

"Why didn't you come back?" Scott asked, leaning his weight against the bike, all too aware now that people were watching. "I was worried that you had gotten hurt, or that I had damaged –"

"I was stupid," Marie said, interrupting as she started to cry. "I got scared about what happened, and I didn't know what would happen if I came back and tried to talk to you. I'm a coward."

Scott pulled Marie to him as he wrapped his arms around her. She was full-out sobbing at this point, and it was really wreaking havoc on Scott's emotions. He was running his hands through her hair, trying to comfort her and get her to stop crying. Both were drenched to the bone by this point because of the rain (which hadn't let up at all), but neither seemed to notice or care. They stood there in the rain, Marie sobbing into Scott's shirt and Scott trying to comfort her for a good twenty minutes. When Marie finally looked up at Scott, tears still falling from her eyes, she noticed that he was smiling. Reaching a hand out, Scott wiped the stray tears from her eyes.

"Don't cry," he said softly. "It breaks my heart to see you cry."

Sniffling slightly, Marie managed a small smile. Taking a choppy deep breath, she turned, focusing on the people who were watching them from inside the mansion; those that had been out on the front lawn earlier had gone inside when the rain picked up. Sighing, she turned back to Scott.

"They're looking at us as if we're some mildly-interesting TV show," Marie said, giggling slightly.

"Well, then, let's give 'em something to watch," Scott said, grinning.

Still grinning, Scott leaned over and captured Marie's lips with his own. Kissing her slightly longer than would have been smart, they broke apart after Marie's mutation had kicked in. Looking up at Scott with a grin on her face, she noticed that he had a distant sort of look on his face. Concerned, she spoke.

"Scott, sugar, you okay?"

Scott shook his head, much like a wet dog does to get the water out of its fur. Blinking once or twice behind the shades, he nodded, looking down at Marie.

"Yeah. I'm okay. I think."

Marie laughed. She knew that his head probably felt a little fuzzy – the burning behind her own eyes had gotten stronger, confirming the fact that she had taken some of his powers through the kiss. However, he was still standing, so she knew that within a few minutes, he should be okay. They stood there, just looking at one another through red shades until Scott felt better. When he did, he sighed, smiling at Marie. Marie, however, didn't feel like everything that needed to be said by ways of apology had been.

"I'm sorry I didn't come straight to you after I left the lab – or that I didn't ask you to come in the first place," Marie said, regret clear in her eyes even behind the shades. "I should have asked; I was wrong."

"It's okay," Scott whispered, bringing a hand up to her cheek and running it softly along her the line of her jaw. "I suppose I'm as much at fault as you. I should have come to the lab with you whether you liked it or not."

The comment made Marie laugh and brought a smile to Scott's face. Bringing a hand up to push the ruby-quartz glasses back up her nose again, Marie sighed. Here she was, standing in Scott's arms, soaking wet, and yet, she still felt there were things that needed to be said.

"I just…let my emotions get the best of me. I didn't expect you to kiss me like that, and by the time you pulled away, it was too late…"

"Once again, it's okay. You can stop apologizing now," Scott said, smirking.

"Okay, just as long as we're good. I don't want to walk out during an argument, 'cause I don't know if I'll have the guts to confront you again."

Scott laughed, his eyes glowing brightly behind the shades. Pulling Marie close, he kissed the top of her head. Looking down in her shaded eyes, he smiled. The rain was beginning to slow, and as he turned toward the mansion, he saw Storm smiling at them through the open front door. Nodding his thanks, he smiled and turned back to Marie.

"I vote we go inside and change. It's too wet out here for my taste," Scott said, the hint of a grin on his face.

"I agree," Marie said, a shiver traveling up her body due to the wet clothes that were currently plastered to her body. "I'm kinda cold."

"Let's go."

Throwing one arm around Marie's shoulders and the using the other to tow the motorcycle, Scott and Marie headed back towards the mansion.

* * *

September 24th, 2006 – 8:05 PM, Rec Room

Well, despite the fact that the day started out horribly, I can say that based on the events that followed, I had a good day. I'm currently curled up in Scott's arms on one of the rec room couches, which explains why my writing is more sloppy than normal. However, if I had to choose between neat handwriting and curling up with Scott, Scott wins by a long shot (Yes, that's right, Scott, look smug all you want – he's reading over my shoulder. Not that I _mind_…). We're watching TV along with Storm, Jubilee, Kitty, and Colossus. The latter two still haven't confessed their feelings to one another, although it's blatantly obvious to everyone else in the mansion that they like each other. I know it isn't easy to confront somebody you like and hand them your heart on a silver platter, but if you're going to take one thing you learn from listening to me ramble, let this be it: It's totally worth it! (Scott just squeezed my shoulders and nodded in agreement. He's grinning like the cat that ate the canary.) Yeah, I'm glad I handed Scott my heart – HEY! (He just grabbed my hand, the one with the pen in it. Please excuse the huge scribble line that was made as I fought to get it back. And now he's laughing. _Great_.) As I was _saying_, I'm kinda glad we had that fight earlier. If I hadn't gone and confronted him in the garage, I wouldn't be sitting in his lap right now. (And did I mention that I was _totally enjoying it!_)

Oh, you probably want to know what happened after we put the bike back in the garage earlier. Well, I'll tell you. Geez, I'm talking to my diary like its real. I think this whole thing has made me go off the deep end. (Scott just shook his head no. Well, I'm glad he thinks so.) In any case, I'll continue with the story. We put the bike back in its spot in the garage (Scott never got to finish fixing the Benz – I'll have to help him with that tomorrow) and went upstairs to change our clothes. I'm never standing out in a rainstorm of that magnitude again. I felt like I had jumped into the pool in the backyard. Well, if Scott was out in the rain, then maybe… (He just laughed.). So, we changed our clothes and I met him down in the kitchen. After arguing and feeling upset for over an hour (plus, lunchtime had come and gone), I needed some food. It turns out that everyone has their own dirty little secret. I learned something new about Scott today (other than the fact that he likes me, and we're currently dating – I think. Yeah, we are. He just nodded.): Scott can cook. Yeah, something I never would have guessed from him, but he's a mean cook. I mean it, he really can cook. I'm gonna have to have him cook for me more often.

After eating, we went out to the lake that's within a twenty minute drive of the mansion. Scott had driven the SUV, and we had hooked some kayaks on the top so that we could use them when we arrived. We kayaked for a while, just enjoying the stillness of the water and wildlife – everything's so pretty out there. It's like a whole different galaxy from the chaos of the Xavier mansion. It was wonderful. We really have to do that more often. After kayaking, we sat on the grass and just talked – random topics, it didn't have to be anything special or specific. We were out there for about three hours. I swear, it's a good thing that I have to wear so many layers of clothing, or I'd be burnt to a crisp tomorrow.

We came back to the lake and had dinner with the rest of the X-Men and other students. Gossip travels so quickly in this school – except in the case of Scott and me, it wasn't exactly gossip, it was the truth. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Well, he makes me happy, so it's a good thing, but I don't know how Bobby's taking it – he hasn't talked to me ever since the accident in the Med Lab three days ago. That's probably a bad thing. Well, as my Momma used to say, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Yep, it's been confirmed. Bobby just walked into the rec room and when his eyes saw Scott and me, he glowered and promptly turned and left the room. Well, I'll deal with it tomorrow. I feel like I'm floating, I don't want to let that feeling go just yet. I'll write more soon.

Floating on air,

Marie


	5. Chapter 5

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the X-Men, I'm just using them for my own amusement.

**K. Lizzy A:** Thanks so much! I know where you live TOO! Love you!

**x.kiss.the.girl:** I mentioned Kitty/Colossus once, hopefully you caught it. Thank you so much. I owe you so much, Nicky!

**lunafan:** Hopefully you liked this one just as much. I know it's not as romantic as the last, but it'll pick back up once more.

**Summers-Spirit:** I'm glad it seems real to you. That's been my aim the entire time, and your reviews really help. Thanks so much!

**msenterprise:** Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like the diary entry idea - it seemed a great way to have readers understand from two different points of view.

**irisheyesrsmiling: **Yes, I was going to have Logan come back and stir up the emotions in the mansion, and here it is. This chapter is dedicated to you! Thanks for the review!

**TheSouthernBelle**: No, this story isn't anywhere near being done. Thanks for the review. I love hearing from my readers.

**llamagurl: **Here's the update for you. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

September 25th, 2006 – 6:28 AM, Rec Room

Oh my God. We fell asleep! It's 6:28 (I only know because the illuminated face on Scott's watch tells me so) in the morning and I'm still in Scott's arms on the rec room couch! The last thing I remember from last night is the two of us watching reruns of CSI: on television. Storm was still in the room at that time, if I remember correctly (Kitty and Colossus had left to go out and eat earlier – he finally asked her!)…It's all kinda blurry; I was really tired at that point. I suppose Scott didn't want to move me while I was asleep. That's okay. Waking up next to him this morning was just…amazing. Not just because he's a totally hot guy ('cause Scott is, I'm not going to bother denying it), but because…ugh, I can't really put it into words. It just felt right, y'know? It was a feeling so powerful, so good, almost like it was _meant_ to happen. Like fate. For once, things are going my way.

Okay, let me take that last statement back. Bobby just walked in, probably heading to the kitchen to fetch breakfast, and stopped dead in his tracks, eyes wide. Now I know what the proverbial deer in headlights looks like. I called his name (quietly, so as not to wake Scott), but he just shook his head sadly and headed into the kitchen. Why is it always me who has the problems? I'm gonna go talk to Bobby before things become irreparable between us. Knowing my luck, something else horrible is going to happen in my absence. Oh well. Here goes nothing.

* * *

Rogue closed her journal and dropped it on the floor, stilling her movements as the book landed with a THWAP on the carpet. Scott stirred slightly, causing Marie's heart rate to practically double. Luckily, the sound hadn't been enough to wake him, and Scott slept on peacefully. Breathing a soft sigh of relief, she slipped out of his grasp, stopping five seconds later to make sure that her getting up hadn't woken him. Once satisfied, Marie padded silently in sock-clad feet to the kitchen.

Bobby was seated at the kitchen table, his chair facing away from the doorway. Sighing softly, Marie entered the kitchen intending to make her friend see reason.

"Bobby – " Marie began, but was cut off as Bobby spoke.

"I trusted you!" he burst out.

"I – what?"

Rogue had expected him to be upset at the fact that she had chosen Scott over him, but the issue of trust had never entered the equation. Marie frowned, confused. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything that would jeopardize the trust and friendship that existed between the two of them. Bobby, however, obviously felt differently.

"What does trust have to do with it, Bobby?"

"Everything!" he yelled, torn between rage and sorrow. "It has everything to do with it!"

Meanwhile, in the other room, Scott woke with a start at Bobby's yell. Looking around wildly for the source of the disturbance, he relaxed slightly at hearing Marie's voice in the kitchen. Getting up off the couch and being careful not to tread on her journal, Scott headed for the kitchen. Stopping in the doorway, he took in the current state of things: Bobby was sitting in a chair facing the windows, head in his heads, and Marie had pulled another chair up next to his and was talking softly. Careful so as not to alert the two to his presence, Scott stood stock-still, listening.

"Bobby, you lost me," Marie said, confusion still present on her face. "Where does trust come in again?"

Sighing and wiping a tear from his eye, Bobby spoke.

"I trusted you! I gave you my _heart_."

Scott was shocked. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly hadn't been that. By the look on Marie's face, it was clear that she felt the same way. Almost everyone in the mansion had known that Rogue and Iceman had been going out up until about five months ago. However, Scott was willing to bet every penny he had to his name that none of them knew Bobby's affection for Rogue had run _this_ deep. Hell, it was obvious that even _Marie_ hadn't known.

"Bobby, we dated. We broke up. That's life."

In truth, she didn't mean to be harsh; she really just wanted to put their relationship in simple terms. Marie knew that if Bobby started to cry, she would be soon to follow. Despite being untouchable physically, she was actually very in touch with her emotions. Most of the time, she just didn't share them with anybody else. In the days when Logan used to be around, she used to spill her thoughts and feelings to him. Now, since Logan was gone, she had found someone even better to replace him: Scott Summers.

"But Rogue, I – I love you," Bobby said softly.

Marie's eyes widened at his last statement, and wild thoughts began chasing their way around her brain. _'He _loves_ me? How is that possible? We'd only been dating for eight months! And how can someone who's afraid to touch me be in love_ _with me?'_ Marie's face hardened at the thought. Putting a hand on Bobby's shoulder, she was taken by surprise at his next statement.

"I told you once before. The night in the field when the jet crashed…or almost crashed, no thanks to Magneto. I told you before we went to sleep."

Marie remembered that night very well. It was the night before they made it to Alkali Lake. Jean and Logan were still with them at that point – she specifically remembered hearing Jean outside the Blackbird talking to Logan, saying something to the effect of "good girls flirt with the bad guy…and marry the good guy." Sighing softly to herself, Marie realized that Jean had gone against her own advice by running off with Logan. Taking a quick glance toward the rec room, she was startled to find Scott standing in the doorway. _Her_ good guy. Smiling, she tried to direct her thoughts back to the topic at hand. The last thing she wanted was to bring Scott into the argument. Doing that would only make the situation worse.

Frowning, Marie tried desperately to remember Bobby saying anything even remotely like 'I love you' that night. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember it. After having heard the exchange between Jean and Logan, Marie had laid down, trying to have sleep drown out her unhappy thoughts. Bobby had come in the tent at one point, but she had ignored him. A few minutes later, Marie had fallen asleep. That was the truth; she didn't remember it at all.

"I don't remember that," Marie said slowly, almost afraid as to how Bobby was going to take the news.

"Well, I said it," Bobby said stubbornly, standing up from the chair and facing Marie, "and you said it back."

"Bobby Drake, I said no such thing!"

It was at this point in the conversation that the warning flag in Scott's head went off. The argument was quickly turning sour, and in a few minutes, he was definitely going to have to intervene, lest things get even worse. Deadly, even, when it came to Marie's powers.

"Yes, you _did_! I was there! And if you won't fess up to having cheated on me, then I guess this conversation is over."

"_Cheated_ on you!" Marie yelled, astonished. "We're not even dating anymore, Bobby. I can date whoever I want. It's _my_ life, I don't need a keeper!"

"Just admit it, Rogue. You told me you loved me, and when someone better came along, you dumped me for him," Bobby said, the volume and anger in his voice rising with each successive word.

"Let me remind you, _Iceman_," Marie began, the word 'Iceman' as cold as Bobby's powers, "that _you_ dumped _me_."

"Only because you had cheated," Bobby shot back. "I don't date…girls who cheat."

It was obvious to both Scott and Marie that Bobby had changed what he originally was going to say halfway through the sentence. Most likely, he was going to throw an insult at Rogue that would have been unforgivable, and had decided against it. Color fusing her cheeks out of embarrassment and rage, Marie shot back a response.

"What were ya gonna say, Iceman? Go ahead, try me. Hit me with your best shot."

Marie looked furious, and a fire blazed in her eyes that Scott could catch even from the doorway. He knew that if Bobby decided to take the bait and say what he had originally meant to, Scott was going to have to step in and break up the fight. It was quickly getting out of hand, and if it kept up for much longer, he was going to need Storm or Hank to help him break it up. Bobby debated with himself for a minute or so, then succumbed to his rage.

"You SLUT!" Bobby yelled, the mug he was holding freezing and cracking in his hands.

There was a collective gasp from the students who had quietly gathered behind Scott. Bobby whipped around to find Scott standing in the doorway, his stance giving off waves of barely controlled rage; and the four or five young students who had gasped at the name gaping from behind him. For a moment, nobody in the entire kitchen moved. It was obvious to Scott that it was taking a lot of restraint from both Bobby and Marie to not physically jump the other and throw a punch.

"Well," Marie began, unbridled rage emanating from her every syllable, "that's that."

"I'll say," Bobby piped up. "I'm done with you."

"And I'm glad," she shot back. "We're not friends anymore, are we, Iceman?"

"Not at all."

Nodding to Marie, anger still in his eyes, Bobby turned to leave the kitchen. Marie pulled down the ruby-red shades covering her eyes (Hank said that she could give them back to Scott tomorrow – she'd be safe to go without them then) and shot a blast of energy at Bobby's feet. The blast hit his right foot, causing him to trip and fall, landing hard on his behind. With an angry smirk on her face, Marie swept past Scott and the younger children into the rec room, gathered her journal and pen, and headed upstairs without another word.

* * *

September 25th, 2006 – 8:20 AM, Scott's room

I know I probably shouldn't be in here, but if I had gone to my room, Jubilee and Kitty would have known where to find me instantly. They'll never think to look in Scott's room. Pretty ingenious, actually. That's about the only thing I have to be happy about right now. In the span of ten minutes following Bobby's and my argument, the entire mansion knows. I swear, gossip travels faster than brushfire on an African plain around here. And it sucks. For me, at least.

Despite what it may have seemed like down in the kitchen, (I can be a total bitch if I need to, as proven earlier) I really am upset about losing Bobby as a friend. Before Scott, I knew that I could always go to him if I needed a friend in hard times, and he could usually cheer me up. I enjoyed his company very much – after all, we did go on our first mission as junior X-Men together. All in all, I'll miss him. I have a feeling that we'll never be able to completely patch this up, and for that, I'm sorry.

Please ignore the tear stains on the paper; I'm trying my best to not get them on the page, but to no avail. Why does this always happen to me? Ever since I left the kitchen, I haven't seen anyone. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it's better than still being down there yelling at Bobby. I swear, one more second and I would have taken off a glove and sucked him dry. He crossed the line calling me a slut. I'm not, am I? I don't _think_ I am, but ever since he said it, I've been questioning myself. It's like everything that I had been sure of before, suddenly I'm not. Damn you, Bobby Drake!

I really am sorry for using Scott's powers against Bobby. Professor Xavier will probably call me into his office about it. The rule of the mansion is to never use your powers against someone else, and I blatantly ignored it. I was angry. Psht. That's a _huge_ understatement. I was beyond furious. I was _seething_. It was a rash action, and for that, I'm sorry. He's not hurt (at least, not to my knowledge), but it still made me feel slightly better.

Scott just came in. I can't tell how he's feeling right now – he has a sort of guarded look. Normally, I can tell his emotions even _with_ the shades on, but as of right now, I'm clueless. Well, at least I know he doesn't hate me – he just sat down on the bed and pulled me into his arms. That makes me feel a _tiny_ bit better.

To whoever reads this, I messed up bigtime. I'm sorry.

* * *

Putting her diary down on the bed next to her, Marie turned around in Scott's arms so that she was facing him. His guarded look had melted away, leaving sadness in its wake. Taking one look at him, her resolve to not cry fell apart completely, and she broke down, sobbing. Without saying a word, Scott pulled her to him. They stayed that way for a good twenty minutes until Marie had calmed down enough to articulate a coherent sentence. Wiping her tears away with one hand, she looked up a Scott, who, as of this point, hadn't yet said anything.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"For which: the argument, or the use of your powers against another?" Scott asked, a curious tone in his voice which combined anger, sorrow, and happiness together.

"Both."

Heaving a sigh, Scott got up and fetched the box of tissues for Marie, setting it down on the bed next to her. He sat there silently for a moment, feeling Marie's eyes on him. After another two or three minutes had passed, he spoke, gathering Marie back into his arms again as he did so.

"I can't say that I'm glad the argument happened, but I can say I'm glad you're sorry, because it means you learned something."

"I shouldn't have hit Bobby with my powers," Marie said, her voice slowly gaining its strength back. "Well, technically, they're _your_ powers, but I figured they'd hurt less than mine would. And God knows I don't need another voice in my head."

Scott smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. He was glad that Marie understood the fact that what she had done was wrong, but knew that her being sorry didn't excuse the action. Bobby could have been seriously hurt. When the optic blast had come into contact with his foot, he had fallen on the shards of broken glass from the mug that had shattered in his hand earlier. Luckily, the small pieces of glass hadn't penetrated the layer of clothing he was wearing. As a teacher, it was Scott's job to make sure that disciplinary action was taken. Sighing, he looked down at Marie.

"Xavier is going to want to talk to you about this," he said slowly, trying to choose his words carefully.

"I figured as much," Marie replied tonelessly.

"And as a teacher, I'm responsible for dealing out your punishment."

"I know."

A minute or so passed in silence before either one spoke again.

"You're not gonna ground me or anything, are ya?" Marie asked, her eyes twinkling.

"No," Scott replied, smiling, "but I am going to make you apologize."

"No way."

Marie's eyes had widened at Scott's words. He was having _her_ apologize? That wasn't right at all. She hadn't started the argument, and she definitely wasn't the one who had called her names. Yes, Rogue realized that she was acting as if she was five, but fair was fair. He wasn't having Bobby apologize to _her_, so why should she go out of her way to make things right?

"You're going to apologize to him whether you like it or not," Scott said simply, knowing clearly where this discussion was leading.

"No, I'm not," Marie said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest in a gesture of defiance. "I'm not the one who called me a – a –"

Rogue couldn't even finish the sentence. She felt the tears well up in her eyes at the very thought of what Bobby had said down in the kitchen. It wasn't fair, and she knew it. She didn't deserve to be treated as such when she had done nothing to reward such behavior, and Scott knew that it was true.

"I know," Scott replied, pulling her to him again. "However, you need to be the bigger person and apologize."

Marie opened her mouth to retort, but Scott shook his head and squeezed her shoulders lightly, letting her know that he wasn't finished.

"Trust me, I'm not going to let this go. I will have a long talk with Bobby about what he did, and make sure that he is punished appropriately for it. Also, Professor Xavier will be notified – if he doesn't already know, which I'm pretty sure he does."

Marie nodded, more to assure herself than to let Scott know that she understood. Leaning back, she relaxed against Scott, trying to rid her mind of the 'kitchen incident', as it would become known later. Two minutes later, however, she sat bolt upright, a look of horror on her face. Scott caught the look and turned to her, confused, as she walked to the window and peered outside.

"What is it?" he asked, both worried and curious at the same time. "And don't tell me that Bobby made a sign out of the freshly mown grass, 'cause if he did, I'll kill him."

Marie laughed nervously, her expression quickly turning serious once more. Shaking her head sadly, she turned away from the window to look at Scott, her voice a whisper.

"Logan's back."

* * *

September 25th, 2006 – 9:18 AM, the Hangar

My life is over. Really, it is. Well, technically, it's not, but you get the point. I seem to have a habit of attracting horrible things to happen. I'm not kidding. My day went from being totally wonderful to absolutely horrible in a matter of two and a half hours. Two and a half hours! I think that must be some kind of record. I'm serious. Before today, I didn't think anybody's life could be wrecked _that_ fast. Once again, I've proven myself wrong.

My morning started out amazingly well. I woke up in the arms of the hottest guy in the entire mansion, the same guy who I happen to currently be dating. I had been awake for only five minutes when Bobby happens to walk into the room and catch sight of us. (This is where my day went sour. Isn't my luck _grand_?) I left Scott on the couch to follow Bobby to the kitchen, hoping I could work things out with him. Well, let's just say that didn't work out as planned. The 'explaining' I had to do turned into a full-out screaming match in which he called me a slut and insulted me in front of the little kids who had come down for breakfast. I got so angry that I used Scott's powers (which I still had from the incident in the garage three days ago) to make Bobby trip and fall. Serves him right. It's too bad he didn't hurt himself more. Well, I take that back. I _am_ angry at him, but I don't wish him injured. Finishing the argument with what little of my dignity remained, I headed up to Scott's room to cry my eyes out. Scott came up a while later, trying to cheer me up. It worked, somewhat. Turns out I have to apologize to Iceman. _Me, apologize?_ As Scott put it, 'I have to be the _bigger person_.' Psht. Bigger person, my ass! However, Scott's word is law (he _is_ a teacher, after all.), so I have to do it.

I haven't apologized yet, and I plan to hold out as long as possible. I'm still really _really_ angry at Bobby, and I think if you left him and me in the same room alone for two long, one of us might not come out alive. The good news is that Scott's gonna have a nice long talk with Bobby about his actions – and Professor Xavier's gonna have his say. Maybe I can still recover my dignity. However, that still doesn't get me out of saying I'm sorry.

OH, and that's not all that went wrong today. Yes, can you believe it? There's more. (I sound like I'm selling something. You wouldn't want to buy anything from me anyway. It would just blow up in your face, like most of the things I do.) Just as I find out I have to apologize to Iceman, Logan returns with Jean on the bike. I heard him coming before I saw the bike pull up in the driveway, which is why I'm writing this from the empty hangar. I needed a place to sort out my thoughts where Logan can't find me. Oh, hell, he could find me if I was two continents away. It's worth a try, though.

It's just that Logan brings back so many memories, and Jean with him. If it wasn't for Logan, I never would have found my haven, which just happens to be Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Who knows where I'd be if I hadn't stowed away in his truck in Laughlin City four years ago. I don't love him anymore. Yes, I'm being truly honest. His face doesn't make my heart flutter anymore, or make me feel the butterflies in my stomach. I associate those feelings with Scott now. He's taken that place, and I'm happy for that. I don't have to worry about Scott walking out on me or breaking my heart. Or do I? That brings me back to my second point. Logan brought JEAN back with him. Scott had told me before he kissed me in the garage the other day that he had gotten over her, but now that's she back, how will he react? Will he stay faithful to me, or will he return to his fiancée? I don't even want to think about it. My heart can only break so many times before _I_ do, y'know?

Dreading seeing Logan and Jean,

Marie


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the characters you see here - they belong to Marvel Comics and Stan Lee (What LUCKY people!) 

**A/N: **I apologize for the fact that it's taken me so long to update. I had a severe case of writer's block, and then we had a huge storm that knocked out my cable for a week. This is the first day I've had internet access, so to make up for all the waiting, I'm posting TWO chapters for you guys. Enjoy!

* * *

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Six

September 26th, 2006 – 11:00 AM, my Bedroom

Well, I've finally found one advantage to having absorbed Logan three times: his extra-sensitive hearing is really useful in determining who's knocking on your door. I never really thought about using his powers that way before, but it really is handy. Ironic that the person who gave me those powers is the one I'm using them against. As of right now, he's come up twice looking for me. The second time, he even went as far as to open the door and call my name. I wasn't ready to face him yet, so I pretended to be asleep. I don't think he fell for it, but he left after a minute or so anyway. I feel like such a coward, hiding from him, but if I were to face him right now, I'd probably blurt out something about Scott and I being a couple. Trust me, Logan would _not_ like to hear that. Speaking of Scott, I haven't seen him yet today. (Despite the fact that I haven't left my room yet, he usually comes up after a while to say good morning.) Maybe he's distracted? Of _course_ he's distracted, that was a dumb question. Jean just walked back into his life, and I ask if he's distracted! DUH!

I sure hope that Jean waltzing back into his life hasn't changed anything between us. Technically, it's impossible that it didn't. Her influence back in the mansion is either going to make us or break us, as they say. And hopefully, for my sake, it's not the latter. The past couple of days with Scott have been magical. I had never dreamed that Rogue the Untouchable would be able to fall in love. But despite all the horrible things that have happened during the course of my life so far, I've managed to find my Prince Charming. But what about him? Does Scott still feel the same way? He was deeply in love with Jean before she left with Logan, and it took quite a lot to get over her. (It didn't take a lot of _time_, but a lot of effort. Lots of effort on both our parts, 'cause I had somebody to get over too, if you remember!) The question posed now is: Did Scott ever truly get over Jean? It seems that my heart (once again) hangs in the balance. I hate situations like this, and they always seem to find me. Why do I have such _rotten_ luck? Should I just confront him about it, or should I let him come to me? I really don't know what to do. I have a gut feeling that no matter which I choose, it's going to backfire on me. Can you say 'impending doom', diary? Well, it's time to find out where Scott Summers' heart really lies. Wish me luck!

* * *

Sighing audibly, Rogue put her journal down on her desk, at the same time tucking the fuzzy pen inside the cover. Starting to hum softly to herself, she crossed the room to stand in front of the mirror, trying to make sure that she looked presentable before she left her room and headed downstairs for the day. Once she made up her mind about whether or not to leave her hair down (she decided to tie it up in a ponytail with a ribbon), she walked over to the door and opened it, intending to leave her bedroom and head down to the kitchen to get something to eat. However, she never got that far; in fact, Marie didn't even get out the door. The reason for this was standing in her doorway, a slight scowl on his face.

"You've been avoiding me," Logan said shortly, fixing Marie with an unwavering stare.

"I have not," she shot back as she edged past him and out the door, beginning the walk down the hallway to the kitchen, her scarf flying out behind her like a banner.

Logan followed Marie down the hallway, scowling, but not saying a word. A thousand thoughts were going through his head as he walked, each more crazy than the last. _'She's been avoiding me. She doesn't want me around anymore. She hates me. She thinks I'm crazy. She's with someone else.'_ The list went on and on, with Logan getting successively more nervous with each passing second. However, his expression didn't change; the Wolverine never showed any signs of weakness, even if he really did feel them. When the two reached the bottom of the main staircase, Logan grabbed Marie's gloved arm lightly, stilling her movements. Slowly, she turned around and faced him, raising her eyebrows out of curiosity as she did so.

"What?" she asked, her brown doe eyes locking onto his and searching for some sort of answer.

"You've been avoiding me, and you know it."

The statement held no anger; it was just fact tinged with sadness. Marie sighed lightly, trying to keep it from being audible but knowing deep down inside that Logan's sensitive ears had caught it. _'They catch everything,_' Rogue thought sadly. Taking a deep breath and shaking her head slightly, she turned without a word, heading down the hallway past the rec room and into the kitchen, knowing full well that Logan would follow, having not yet gotten the answer he was looking for. Upon entering the kitchen, she nodded a greeting to Scott and Jean, both of whom were seated at the table immersed in a serious conversation, and completely ignored Bobby, who was standing by the island, eating a sandwich. Marie walked over to the sleek titanium fridge and opened the door, looking for some suitable lunch food. After a few minutes of rustling around inside (Logan had propped himself up against the pantry door and was waiting for her to finish with the scowl back on his face), she shut the door, coming out empty handed. Clearing her throat slightly, she spoke.

"Um, Scott? Where'd you put the pasta that we ate for dinner last night?" Marie asked, nervousness present in her voice.

Logan picked up on the tone instantly as Scott whirled around in his seat, interrupting his conversation with Jean. Even Bobby noticed the change – he had looked up from his sandwich, eyes fixed intently on Rogue. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, it took Scott a moment to realize what Marie had asked him; his brain was obviously still thinking about his conversation with Jean (and based on the scowl that he had been wearing two seconds ago, it obviously wasn't a pleasant one).

"The pasta? I put it…uh…," Scott said, racking his brain for the answer. "Uh, I don't remember."

Getting up from his chair, he walked over to the fridge and opened the door, moving Marie out of the way with a gentle touch on her hip. Logan blinked as Scott rummaged through the fridge, trying to determine if the touch between Scott and Marie had really happened. Shaking his head much like a dog trying to get rid of excess water on it's fur after a bath, Logan rid his mind of (what he thought was) the imaginary image, his scowl more pronounced as he listened to the clunks of the leader of the X-Men looking for pasta in the fridge.

Just then, Logan turned around sharply as he heard the front door of the mansion open. Two seconds later, Warren Worthington III walked into the kitchen, dressed nicely in a crisp blue suit. Setting his briefcase down next to one of the kitchen chairs (he had obviously just come from work) and flashing a smile at Jean, one which she returned, he noticed Scott digging around in the fridge. Shaking his head and grinning, he walked over to the fridge and tapped Scott on the back. Scott, who still had his head in the fridge at the time, made to stand up to see who had tapped him and knocked his head on the inside top shelf. Marie giggled as Scott cursed softly, then ducked out of the fridge, rubbing his head. Warren, who was still grinning widely at this point, spoke.

"What're you looking for?" he asked, his joyful demeanor a huge contrast to Logan's scowl.

"Last night's pasta," Scott replied, still rubbing his head. "I put it away after everyone had finished eating and now I have no idea what I did with it."

Warren laughed, his eyes sparkling in his amusement. Scott raised an eyebrow, obviously confused as to what was so funny. Marie and Jean shared the same expression, and Logan still held his (what seemed like) ever-present scowl.

"What's so funny?" Logan growled out. "I don't see how pasta could cause such a damn stir."

Marie threw a glare at Logan, clearly expressing the fact that she wasn't happy with him. She then looked back at Warren, waiting for a response. After all, the pasta was going to be _her_ lunch.

"I saw you put it in the freezer last night."

"What?" Scott asked, looking really puzzled now. "I didn't put it in the freezer. Why would I do that? Pasta needs to be refrigerated, not _frozen_."

Warren smiled again, and as he did so, Bobby's eyes lit up with recognition.

"I saw you do it," Bobby said, speaking up for the first time since Logan and Marie had entered the kitchen. "It was almost midnight – and you were grumbling about how people had left their dishes out."

Scott, whose expression had changed from confusion to distress, opened the freezer door. Chuckling to himself, he pulled out the Tupperware of now-frozen pasta and handed it to Marie, a smile on his face. Marie burst out laughing, finally seeing the proof that Scott had indeed put the pasta in the freezer. Warren and Bobby were both grinning, and Jean had a small smile on her face – Logan's expression hadn't changed at all.

"You still want it?" Scott asked her, grinning.

"Maybe in about six hours when it's _thawed_," Marie replied, smiling. "Now what am I gonna eat? I'm _hungry_. That's why I came down."

Shaking her head and yet still smiling, Marie sighed. It was just another day in the chaotic life of a student in the Xavier mansion. As everyone always said, 'expect the unexpected,' the unexpected being what often happened on a daily basis. Scott, still smiling, closed the freezer door and opened the door to the fridge, putting the bowl of frozen pasta inside. Turning back to Marie, he spoke, at the same time waving goodbye to Warren as he left the kitchen.

"Here, I'll tell you what," Scott began, smiling at his girlfriend and seemingly forgetting about the conversation he had been having with Jean (who was looking more and more upset with every passing second), "what d'you want to eat? I'll cook, seeing as it's my fault that your pasta is frozen solid."

Marie raised her eyebrows, surprised that Scott would offer such a thing. On normal days, she would have instantly accepted his offer of having him cook for her, but today, she was wary of consenting for a few reasons. One, Scott had been in the middle of a serious-looking conversation with Jean when she and Logan had walked in. Two, Logan was currently scowling at the two of them, looking like he would like nothing more than to chop Scott into little tiny pieces with his claws. Three, neither Jean nor Logan knew of her and Scott's relationship as of yet, and if he made lunch for her, it was quite possible that one or both of them might accidentally spill the beans with a few words or a small touch. However, Marie was in no place to resist Scott's cooking – it was just that good and she was _really_ hungry. Smiling at him, she spoke.

"How about…a bowl of macaroni and cheese?"

Scott grinned and nodded in reply, his eyes twinkling behind his shades. Bending down, he grabbed a large pot out from under the counter and walked over to the sink to begin filling it with water. As he did so, Marie jumped up and sat herself on the island, knowing full well that Logan's and Jean's eyes were watching their every movement. The next fifteen minutes were full of relative tension-filled silence as Scott made the macaroni and cheese for his girlfriend (not that Logan or Jean knew that was the case; Bobby, however, did know of the two, but so far had not said anything.).

When the timer on the stove went off, signaling that the macaroni was finished, everyone in the kitchen jumped; the buzzer had been the first sound in minutes. In the meantime that Scott had been making the mac & cheese, Marie had stretched herself out over the island, laying lazily on her back, one leg draping over the side. Logan had been eying her the entire time, hiding his interest under the guise of a scowl, Jean was frowning, obviously upset with Scott's lack of attention toward her, and Bobby's attitude mimicked Logan's, teenage lust flashing through his eyes. As Scott moved to put the pot of macaroni and cheese on the island, he found Marie laying across it, smiling up at him. Rolling his eyes behind the shades playfully, he shook his head and spoke, amusement present in his tone.

"Move, Marie."

Logan's posture, which had become relaxed (or as relaxed as it ever was for him) during the wait for Marie's food to be made, stiffened. The scowl was back on his face, and something that felt an awful lot like jealousy was chasing its way 'round his brain.

'_How the hell does he know her first name?'_ Logan asked himself furiously. _'I'm the only one that calls her Marie…and she's **my** girl! What the hell does he think he's doin'? What is **she** doin'?'_

In the short span of time that Logan had been brooding to himself, Marie had replied, a smirk on her face and laughter in her voice.

"No, sugar."

"Whaddya mean, '_no_'?" Scott queried, grinning. "This is _my_ kitchen, I just cooked _you_ lunch, and _I_ need somewhere to put my pot."

"Oh, I'll tell you where you can put your pot, sugar," Marie said, barely containing her laughter as she spoke.

Scott burst out laughing as Logan and Jean locked eyes. Something was up between Scott and Rogue, and they both knew it. Never before had the leader of the X-Men and Marie gotten along so well together. In fact, before Logan had left the mansion with Jean, Rogue and Scott had hardly gotten along at all. Marie had always provided the excuse that the Logan in her head didn't agree with Scott or his philosophies, and thus the normal rules of respect for teachers didn't apply to him. However, looking at the two of them now, it was as if they had been best friends their entire lives.

Marie sat up and got off the island, leaving room for Scott to put the pot of macaroni and cheese down. She smiled at him before moving to sit on one of the kitchen chairs, and he returned the gesture as he dished the food. As Scott handed Rogue a bowl of the cheesy mixture, Jean thought about what had just transpired minutes earlier.

'_This is impossible! Logan and I were only gone two weeks, and yet it seems that Scott and Rogue have changed completely! Why the sudden friendship? I really don't understand it. For once, I'm the confused one. Hmm. Well, I'll get to the bottom of this. I'll just have to call them on it. It's as simple as that.'_

Jean gave a nod of goodbye to Bobby as he left the kitchen, at the same time reassuring herself that nothing serious could have transpired between the two in the short span of time that she and Logan had been absent. Rogue was sitting back on the counter again, eating her macaroni and cheese, with Logan shooting a constant scowl her way that she was ignoring, and Scott had retaken his seat at the table in front of Jean.

"Well, I'm sorry for the interruption. Shall we continue where we left off?" he asked.

"Scott, what's going on between you two?"

Scott raised his eyebrows, surprised, as Marie turned her head toward the two teachers, her gaze leaving Logan's for the first time in minutes.

"What d'you mean, Jean?" Scott asked, knowing full well that he was treading into dangerous waters.

"There's somethin' goin' on between you two, and ya both know it," Logan said, speaking for the first time since Warren had left the kitchen. "We're not blind."

"Maybe not blind, but definitely stupid," Scott muttered, catching Marie's gaze.

Logan caught what Scott had said and anger flashed through his eyes, the emotion clearly visible to everyone in the room. There was a cry of "Logan, _no_!" from Jean as Wolverine dove for Cyclops. Marie managed to stick herself in between the two men, and despite Wolverine's best efforts to make her move, she refused to budge.

"_Move_, Marie!"

"_NO_, Logan," Rogue replied, standing her ground. "I'm not gonna move out of the way so that you can hurt Scott."

Scott nodded from behind Marie, one of his hands on his visor, ready to shoot a blast at Logan should he try to come after him, the other hand resting on Marie's left shoulder. Jean stood off to the side, looking on helplessly; it was obvious by the expression on her face that she was sizing up the situation and trying her best to find a solution. Making up her mind, she moved around to Logan's side, touching the man's shoulder, distracting his attention from Scott and Marie for a few seconds.

"Logan, let it go."

Whirling around to face Jean, he spoke, anger still flashing through his eyes.

"I'm not gonna let it go, Jean! He has the _nerve_ to insult me after takin' my girl. I think he's – "

But what Logan thought, they never found out, because at that moment, Scott burst out laughing. Both Jean and Logan rounded on him, the former wondering how Scott could possibly find humor in the given situation, and the latter just wanting to gut Cyclops for pissing him off. Scott looked down at Marie, who was fuming, before turning his unwavering gaze back on the two people who had started this whole fiasco.

"You think _I_ have nerve, Logan? Try looking at the situation this way: you took my _fiancée_. I think _that_ would qualify as crossing the line, if anything here does."

"And I am not _property_!" Marie chimed in, her fury radiating off her like heat from a sun. "I can hang out with and date whomever I wish! It's a part of being _human_, Logan: having the right to choose."

"So what're you saying, Marie?" Logan asked, the anger that had been in his voice two seconds ago gone, leaving only sadness in its wake.

"What am I saying?" Marie asked.

To the other three people standing in the kitchen, it seemed as if Marie was questioning herself, if her body language gave any inclination as to what she thought. She looked up at Scott, who put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly, then over at Jean and Logan. A look of sheer determination came over her face as she gave Logan one last glance before turning around and kissing Scott soundly on the lips, making sure to break the contact between them before her mutation kicked in. Turning back to face Jean and Logan, she spoke, pride etched in her stance and expression.

"_That's_ what I think."

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The reaction to Marie kissing Scott couldn't have been more clear: Jean's eyebrows were raised so high that they were in danger of disappearing into her hairline, and Logan's scowl was back and more pronounced than ever. However, out of the people present in the room, there was one good reaction to the kiss: Scott had wrapped his arms around Marie's body, pulling her to him, a smile that was half happiness, half defiance on his face. Five minutes passed before anyone said a word.

"So, that's how it's gonna be, is it?" Logan asked gruffly.

"Yes, it is," Marie shot back, her tone almost daring him to challenge her.

Logan opened his mouth to reply, and once he realized that the words weren't coming to him, he shut it again. Scott looked down at Marie, kissing the top of her head, before looking up at Jean and speaking, the words directed specifically at her.

"Sorry, Jean," he said, sounding truthfully sorry. "I need somebody who I can trust, someone faithful."

"But – " Jean began, but was cut off by Rogue.

"- that's not you," Marie finished. "You've proven that. Same goes for you, Logan."

Her gaze drifted from Jean to Wolverine, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as he spoke.

"But Marie darlin', I – I need you."

Marie shut her eyes, trying desperately to stop the tears from falling, but to no avail. One by one they fell, and she shook her head sadly. Scott pulled her closer to him, and she turned in his arms, crying into his shirt. Shooting a glare at Logan, Scott shook his head.

"It's over."

A minute later, Marie looked up at Scott, wiping the tears from her eyes. He smiled down at her, at the same time running a hand through her hair. Nodding at him (more for her own reassurance than his), she turned back to Logan and Jean.

"It's over," she agreed.

With those last words said, she walked out of the kitchen, leaving Jean, Logan, and Scott behind. Scott only stayed for another moment or two before nodding at the other two and following in Marie's footsteps out of the kitchen. As he neared his bedroom, he heard blasting music coming from inside. The sound brought a smile to his face. Unlike any of the other people he had met, Marie was the only person who blasted love songs when she was angry. The smile fading off his face, he pushed the door open quietly. Rogue was lying stretched out on his bed, crying into his pillow. Leaving the door open behind him, Scott went inside, sitting down on the bed next to her.

"It'll be okay," he said softly, placing a hand on her back as he listened to the sounds of Survivor's _Is This Love?_ in the background. "I promise."

Marie jumped at the sound of his voice and the feel of his hand on her back; she hadn't heard him come in. Getting up from where she lay, she moved so that he could wrap his arms around her, proceeding to cry into his shirt rather than his pillow. After about ten minutes of not moving, Scott lay back on the bed, his head on the pillows. Patting the spot next to him lightly, Marie got the picture and lay down next to him. Scott wrapped an arm around her again, allowing her to relax. Ten minutes later, Marie had fallen asleep, and Scott was dozing when a knock sounded on the wall outside his door.

"Mr. Summers, I needed to borrow – "

Scott sat bolt upright as Jubilee stopped mid-sentence, her gaze taking in him and Marie, both in various states of dishevelment. Her eyes widened as she popped her gum, the sound getting lost in the sound of the music still playing from the stereo. A grin spread across her face, and Scott knew that it meant trouble.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," she said, still grinning at him.

"It's okay," Scott said softly, trying his best not to wake Marie, who was still sleeping next to him. "What did you need?"

"Uh…"

'_Typical Jubilee,'_ Scott thought to himself as the younger girl tried to remember what she needed. _'As soon as she gets a new piece of gossip, everything else takes a spot on the back burner.'_

"Oh, that's right! I needed the book you said I could borrow for English!"

Scott smiled, rolling his eyes behind the shades. Moving the arm that wasn't pinned under Marie's body, he pointed to the desk across the room.

"Top drawer, left hand side. It should be right on top."

Jubilee nodded, walking over to the desk with the grin still on her face. It was obvious to Scott that within an hour of leaving his room, the entire mansion would know about Marie and him (if they already didn't). It was just one of the things that went along with knowing Jubilee – she was a walking gossip machine. Shutting the drawer with a snap, Jubilee held up the book to Scott.

"This one?"

"Yes. Just bring it back when you're done with it, okay?" Scott asked.

"Sure thing, Mr. Summers," Jubilee replied as she walked out the door.

Scott sighed with relief. He was almost sure that the yellow-clad girl would have woken Marie. Moving to lay down again, he was interrupted as Jubilee stuck her head back in the room.

"Oh, and Mr. Summers?"

Rolling his eyes again, Scott smiled.

"Yes, Jubilee?"

Jubilee paused for a few seconds before answering (_'Most likely for dramatic effect,'_ Scott thought to himself), the wide grin still in place.

"Good for you."

With that last statement, she left the room. Two seconds later, Marie stirred, opening her eyes and blearily looking around, trying to figure out where she was. Brushing a strand of hair out of her face, Scott spoke.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replied, smiling. "Uh…thanks for back there."

"My pleasure," Scott replied, knowing how hard it must be for her to think back on the subject. "They're the ones in the wrong, not us."

"I know, it's just…hard to say."

Scott nodded, kissing the top of her head as he pulled her closer to him. She smiled and snuggled into his side, her face shielded from his body by his shirt. Two minutes later, Marie's breathing had evened out, and she was asleep again. Looking down at her, Scott felt a tug at his heart.

'_Now I know what love is,'_ he thought before falling asleep.

* * *

September 26th, 2006 – 11:29 PM, Scott's Bedroom

Well, we ended up sleeping the day away, and after all that action in the kitchen earlier, I'm not surprised. I woke up about a half hour ago and left Scott's room to get my journal. I figured that if I just stayed in my room for the rest of the night, he might freak out in the morning upon not finding me next to him, so I just went back. Not that I mind.  I love Scott's room, I really do. It has a really nice stereo, a really cozy bed, and a really hot guy in it. Said hot guy is currently sleeping next to me, one arm wrapped around my waist. I feel like I'm living a dream…and it's the most wonderful feeling in the world. I couldn't ask for anything more. Well, that's not true. I could ask that Logan and Jean forgive us, and for Bobby and I to rekindle our friendship, and for Jubilee to stop spreading rumors about Scott and I, and about a hundred other things, but I know they won't happen just by asking. Fate has funny ways of getting things done. I suppose they'll all work out in time.

Y'know, I've been thinking (yes, I do actually do that sometimes) about my relationship with Scott. We've only been together two weeks (maybe even less – Jean and Logan _left_ two weeks ago, so we didn't get together until a couple of days after that, but it's all the same) and I feel that I'm falling in love with him. I know how they say that you'll _know_ when you're in love, but how are you supposed to know what that feels like? All I know is that whenever I'm around him, I feel pure joy, like I could fly. (Technically, I _can_ fly, ever since the Carol incident, but that's not the point. You get the picture.) It's the most wonderful feeling, like nothing could go wrong. When it's just Scott and I, there's nothing – no war, no Magneto, no … anything. It's just _us_. It's amazing. I can't really explain it any better that that – words can't explain love. It's like the music of my heart, my life, my _soul_. It's just … love.

I could live in this moment forever, just Scott and I laying here in bed. I feel so at peace with the world, even though I know that when I wake up in the morning, everything will go back to the turmoil that it normally is. Live in the moment, as they say, and that's exactly what I plan to do. I'll write more tomorrow morning, but for now, I'm living in the moment.

All you need is Love,

Marie


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: The characters mentioned in this chapter don't belong to me (sadly). They belong to Marvel Comics and Stan Lee.

**A/N:** As promised, here's the second chapter in a two-chapter update. Hope you enjoy! Please leave me a review - I'd love to hear what you think!

* * *

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Seven

September 30th, 2006 – 9:15 AM, My Bedroom

Okay, I know I promised to write more the morning after my last entry, but stuff came up since then, and today's been the first chance I got to write in my diary. It's been four days since 'the confrontation in the kitchen', as it will henceforth be known, and Logan hasn't spoken to me since. It's not unlike Logan to keep to himself – actually, he keeps to himself a lot of the time. However, even during those bouts of secrecy, he tends to seek me out and spend time with me. Ever since he found out about Scott and me, though, he's avoided me at all costs. When I try and talk to him (which occurs during the few times I can actually _find_ him – and for the record, I'm usually pretty good at knowing where he is), he gives me brusque replies and leaves the room soon afterward. It's _really frustrating_! What I'd like to do more than anything is try and straighten things out with him, tell him that this won't affect our friendship at all, but that's kinda hard to do when I can't even _find_ the guy! UGH!

And that doesn't even include what Jean's been doing. Before she left with Logan on the motorcycle (and did I happen to mention that the bike he chose to take was my _favorite!_ He took the _silver one!_), we used to get along pretty well. She was the one who checked me over when I first got to the mansion, and she's always been a good source of advice when I've needed it. In many ways, she did what an older sister would, and I really liked the friendship that existed between us. However, four days ago, that friendship shattered before my very eyes. Now, whenever we're in the same room, the tension is so thick that it practically _crackles_ – I _swear_ you can hear it – and she's constantly shooting glares at me, like I ran off with Scott and stole him from her. Yeah _right_! She was the one who ran off with my best friend! And plus, now that I've gotten to know the side of Scott she used to see, I sincerely question her sanity. Why would she want to leave Scott? Why would anyone on _Earth_ want to leave him? He's just … amazing. insert dreamy sigh here

Yep, it's been confirmed. I'm in love with Scott Summers. He is the epitome of Prince Charming from the fairy tales – sweet, charming, kind, caring…just plain wonderful. I feel like for once, Fate has been kind to me. When it comes to Scott, I couldn't ask for anything more. Whenever I'm with him, I feel so happy – there are no words to describe the feeling that would do it justice. It's a phenomenal feeling that I want to last forever, to never go away. I can't help but wonder what would happen if he asked me to marry him. I'd say yes, of course, but that's not really what I meant. What would change between us (other than my last name)? Would it affect my friendships with others? I think I'm getting ahead of myself. He hasn't even said 'I love you' yet. I know he does, but he just hasn't said it. Then again, neither have I. I suppose I'm kinda scared about what will happen if I do. I don't want this to ever end. Ever. Well, I suppose I'll just have to find out.

I plan to go and hunt down Logan today. I need to get him to understand that I'm not going to leave Scott just because he's back. (Between me and you, diary, _nothing's_ gonna make me leave him.) Plus, he needs to know that I still want to be friends. Technically, Logan was the first real friend I ever had outside of Meridian, and I owe him a lot. (As stated before, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be at Xavier's.) He's my best friend, and I really don't want that to change. However, before I can tell him all these things, I have to _find_ him. He's really good at hiding when he doesn't want to be found. And his super-sensitive ears only work to his advantage. Despite all that's working against me, I'm gonna try my best. I need this friendship just as much as he does. (And working things out with Jean wouldn't hurt either.)

I need all the help I can get, diary. This is a monumental task, but I'm in for the long haul. To quote the movie Galaxy Quest, "Never give up, never surrender!" Wish me luck!

* * *

Rogue tucked the fuzzy pen inside the front cover of her diary, then placed the book back on her bookshelf in between the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Murder on the Links. It was a logical place to hide a diary because nobody would ever think to look among the books that were in plain sight. Smiling at her own ingenuity, she left the room. As she walked down the hallway, Marie tried to make a list of possible places that could function as hideaway spots for Logan. In most cases, if he didn't want to be found, he wasn't going to be. However, in this case, she wasn't planning on giving up the search until she _did_ find him. She walked past the rec room without even glancing in the direction of the television; there were some days where Logan could be spotted there watching a game of hockey, but on a day he didn't want to be found, it was much too obvious a place. Walking down the staircase that led to the basement, Marie headed for the hangar. It was normally off-limits to anyone who didn't have a good reason to be down there (like the kids who were too young to go on missions with the X-Men), but it would provide a perfect spot for peace and quiet for a guy like Logan. Pushing open the door slowly, Marie walked inside.

"Logan? You in here?"

There was no response to Marie's question; the only thing in the hangar was the Blackbird, and it was currently sitting immobile and silent. After taking a quick walk around the room to insure the fact that the room was indeed empty, Marie sighed, mentally crossing the hangar off her list. Nodding to herself, she headed back upstairs to the main level of the school.

'_Why is it that I've seen what seems like everybody in the entire mansion today except the person I'm looking for?'_ Marie asked herself, shaking her head as she passed through the kitchen, smiling at Ororo, who was drinking a milkshake at the table. _'Typical. It's just my luck. Where the hell is he?'_

Marie walked to the garage door and opened it, looking inside. Frowning, she shut the door quietly behind her. Walking among the many vehicles that Xavier kept on site, she came to the quick conclusion that Logan wasn't here. However, the lingering smell of oil _was,_ which meant that one of the cars had been tuned up recently. As far as Marie knew, nobody in the mansion knew how to fix the cars other than Scott and Logan – and she knew for a fact that Scott hadn't worked on the cars today. He had gone out earlier in the morning to run errands, and as of yet, had not returned, if the empty spot on the garage floor where the Benz usually sat meant anything. Shaking her head in what was quickly becoming frustration, Marie reentered the house. She had checked everywhere that Logan was likely to be, and even some places that would have been unlikely for him. Sighing, she poked her head out the back door that led to the backyard, scanning the yard for signs of the Wolverine. As she had expected, he was nowhere to be found. However, as her eyes fell on the poolhouse (Xavier had an Olympic-sized pool on the grounds that was open to all members of the team), she became curious.

'_Hmm. It's possible that he's in there…although I've never seen him swim before. Wouldn't the adamantium on his bones make him **sink**? However, it's worth a try…'_

With that thought, Marie crossed the backyard quietly and pulled open the door to the poolhouse. Glancing around, the interior looked empty; the only movement coming from inside was the slight bouncing of the lane-markers on the water as they floated. Sighing in defeat, Marie turned to exit the building, but stopped as she heard a voice coming from the far right corner of the room.

"Lookin' for me, darlin'?"

Marie jumped, not having realized he was there. Turning around slowly, she noticed Logan sitting in the hot tub. Closing her eyes for a moment, she willed her heart rate to return to normal. When she opened them again, she nodded in acknowledgement as she walked over to the tub. Stopping about ten feet away from the tub, uncertainty flashed across her features.

"I'm not gonna bite."

Flashing a quick smile in his direction, she moved closer. Taking her sandals off and sitting down on the tile, Marie rolled up the legs of her jeans and swung her legs over the edge so that they hung in the water of the hot tub. Biting her bottom lip slightly (she had a habit of doing this when concentrating really hard on something, or when she wanted to say something but wasn't exactly sure if she should), Marie spoke, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"Logan, can we talk?"

"That is what you're doin', isn't it?" he quipped, one of the corners of his mouth quirking up slightly in a half-smile.

"You know what I mean."

Logan frowned; he did, in fact, know what she meant. However, it wasn't something that he was really in the mood to talk about. Ever since he had found out about Scott and Marie, he had been constantly on edge. It was one of the reasons he was in the poolhouse – a place he almost _never_ entered, if he could help it. (It was normally crawling with kids, something that he tried to avoid, if at all possible.)

"You've been avoiding me," Marie said, fixing him with an unwavering stare. "I want to know why."

"Why the hell d'ya think?" Logan shot back.

"I honestly don't know, Logan."

Logan looked at Marie, his eyebrows raised. Was she just playing games with him, or was she honestly curious? By the expression on her face, it didn't look like she was setting him up, but that didn't really mean anything. Well, either way, he'd let her know…

"Let's see, I'm not sure myself, but I have a feelin' that One-Eye has somethin' to do with it," Logan said, a hand on his chin as he pretended to think about it.

"Don't mock me, Logan," Marie said, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Scott and I haven't done anything wrong."

Logan shot Marie a look of disbelief. _'What does she think she's playin' at? "Scott and I haven't done anything wrong." Haven't done anythin' wrong my ass. Well, I'll set her straight.'_ Shaking his head angrily, Logan spoke.

"You haven't done anythin' wrong? Well, if you call goin' out with Scooter 'not having done anything wrong', well, then I suppose you're right."

"I haven't!" Marie said, the sound of her words echoing off the tiles as the volume of her voice increased. "May I remind you that you left _me! You're _the one who took off with Jean!"

"Well, I came back, didn't I?"

Marie rolled her eyes, completely astonished at how Logan was acting. In all reality, he was acting much like a child would upon being accused of causing trouble. Walking around the edge of the circular tub, Rogue came around so that she was standing behind where his head was resting on the tile. Leaning down, she whispered in his ear.

"Well, _darlin'_, that's not good enough."

Marie promptly whacked him on the back of the head. Standing up straight once more, she turned to head back toward where she had left her sandals. However, she didn't count on Logan grabbing her leg and pulling her into the tub.

"AAH!" she screamed as she fell, her body making a huge splash in the bubbling water.

Logan looked at Marie, who was sitting in front of him in the tub, seething. The word _beautiful_ crossed his mind before she slapped him, the sound once again echoing off the walls. She made to slap him again, but this time, Logan grabbed her arm before it made contact with his face. Being careful of her skin, he held her in place.

"You BASTARD!" Marie yelled as she fought to get away and out of his grasp.

"Don't knock it 'til you tried it, darlin'," Logan replied as he held her still (or as still as he could with her still fighting him), grinning at her.

Willing herself to calm down, Marie smiled serenely at him. Noticing her sudden change in demeanor, Logan looked at her suspiciously. She shook her head slightly and shrugged, trying to indicate that she was okay without words. After another moment or so of watching her without a change in expression, Logan let her other arm go.

"You ruined my best gloves, Logan," Marie said as she pulled them off and set them down on the edge of the tub. "They were nice ones."

"I'll buy ya new ones."

Logan was still holding her in place; one of his hands was on her waist, protected from her skin by her jeans. Bringing both of her hands up, she cupped his face. It took a few seconds for her mutation to kick in, a few seconds in which Logan assumed she'd let go before it zapped him. However, when she didn't, Logan's eyes widened as he realized that he had been set up. Two seconds later, Marie let go of him, breathing heavily as she stood up and got out of the tub, her clothes soaking wet. Looking down at Logan, who was leaning against the tub wall like it was his life support system, she managed a grin.

"Don't mess with me, sugar. I'm not somebody to be trifled with."

"Ma-Marie, wait," Logan said; the tone and breathiness of his voice made it obvious to her that his healing factor hadn't yet kicked in.

Marie stood still, listening to Logan's breathing even out as he got out of the tub. His healing factor had taken over, and he would be back to being ship shape within a few seconds. Logan stalked toward Marie, much like a predator stalks its prey. However, before she had a chance to move, he had her pinned between him and the poolhouse wall. Swallowing, Marie looked at him nervously, dimly wondering if she had pushed him too far.

"That wasn't nice, Marie," Logan said, staring down at her intently with an expression that she sincerely didn't like.

"I know it wasn't," she replied standing her ground, her clothes still dripping water from the hot tub; there was no chance of them drying anytime soon. "But you pulled me in the tub and wouldn't let me go. You deserved it."

After staring at her for another few seconds, Logan suddenly stepped back. His expression had changed completely: it was now a mixture of sadness, compassion, and confusion. Marie was surprised at the sudden change; it was most unlike Logan to back down from a challenge. Things were silent for the next minute or so as they stared at one another. Marie was shivering from the combination of the cold on her wet clothes and skin and Logan's unwavering gaze. Finally, after what seemed like years to both of them, Logan spoke.

"Why him?" he asked. "Is it 'cause ya know he pisses me off?"

Logan flashed Marie a small grin, one which she returned. She shook her head in response to his question, quickly following it with an answer. It was almost as if neither wanted the silence to stretch for to long, lest they not be able to dig up the courage to broach the subject again.

"No, it's not because he pisses you off," Marie replied, smiling at him. "It's because…I love him."

Logan stared at Marie with something close to astonishment. He had never really believed that she was going out with Scott only to piss him off; after all, they hadn't known that he and Jean were going to come home. They had decided to come back on a whim, so she and Scott hadn't had any advance warning. What really threw him, however, was the fact that Marie seemed to care for Scott that much. After all, hadn't she loved _him_? (At least, that's what Logan had heard.) As Logan opened his mouth to reply, the door burst open to the poolhouse, bouncing off the tile with a bang.

"Marie, I have great – " the person began, but stopped as he took in the scene before him.

Scott Summers had been out running errands, and had just returned to the mansion not twenty minutes ago. He had been putting away the groceries in the kitchen when he had been approached by Dr. Hank McCoy. The two had talked for ten minutes or so – it seemed that the resident doctor had some news that linked Scott and Marie's mutation together. Once Hank left the kitchen, Scott had abandoned the groceries, looking for Marie to share the news. However, even _that_ news hadn't been enough to prepare him for the scene before him. Marie was currently standing with her back against the wall, fully clothed and soaking wet (her clothes and hair were still dripping water), and Logan was standing two inches from her, wearing only swim trunks (which were also wet). Scott also noticed Marie's sandals and gloves sitting innocently next to the hot tub. Raising his eyebrows, Scott stepped inside and moved toward the other two, speaking as he walked.

"May I ask what's going on?"

Scott grabbed a towel off of one of the racks as he approached Logan and Marie; when he reached where they stood, he draped it around Marie's shoulders like a cape. Marie, who had zoned out thinking about the topic at hand, gave a start as she felt the towel being draped 'round her shoulders. Looking away from Logan, she noticed Scott standing next to her.

"Scott, sugar, we were just – " Marie began frantically, but was interrupted by Logan.

"—talking," he finished for her, looking from her to the leader of the X-Men. "But we're done. She's all yours, Cyke."

Nodding at Marie, Logan walked out of the poolhouse without another word. Marie watched him go with something akin to sadness in her eyes. Scott picked up on the emotion and pulled her to him, temporarily forgetting that she was dripping wet – until she made contact with him. However, they were only clothes; he could always go change afterwards. As of right now, the most important thing on Scott's mind was finding out (in better detail than Logan had provided) what had been going on before he walked in.

"Marie, what did I interrupt?" he asked softly.

Marie turned around so that she was facing Scott. If she hadn't heard him speak, she would have thought him to be angry with her; the lines on his face seemed somehow more defined that usual, and his stance suggested anger. However, she knew now that it was only because he was still in a state of surprise. Once she had explained what had happened before he came in, he was bound to relax.

"We were talking, but it got a little more involved than that," Marie revealed, moving her gaze from her face to stare at the floor.

"Well, that's obvious, based on the fact that you're sopping wet," Scott replied, smiling softly. "Marie, look at me."

"You're not angry with me?" she asked, looking reluctantly up at him.

Leaning down, he kissed her softly, making sure that he pulled away in time before her mutation kicked in. Scott then flashed a smile, at the same time running a hand through her wet locks.

"No, I'm not angry," he replied, pulling her closer to him than before, "just not as long as you explain what 'more involved than that' actually means."

Marie laughed. Typical Scott, wanting to have every aspect of everything under his control. Well, as leader of the X-Men, it came as part of the job, but in this case, it only served to prove that he was nervous at the fact that Logan had been spending time with his girlfriend.

"Calm down, O jealous one," Marie said, giggling. "I'll tell ya, hold your horses."

Scott raised one eyebrow as he sat down on the tile floor of the poolhouse, gesturing for Marie to do the same. She did; however, he didn't expect her to plop down on his lap as rapidly as she did. Groaning slightly, he maneuvered her so that he was in less pain. A few seconds later, he relaxed, pulling her body flush with his (or as flush with his as was possible with her sitting on his lap) and resting his head on her shoulder.

"So, storytime. Let's hear it. I've always loved stories…it's almost like being back in kindergarten. I always liked kindergarten."

Marie laughed; it was during times like these that she got to see the boyish side of Scott, the side that had never really grown up. After all, he was only twenty-four; however, he displayed maturity beyond his years through his teaching and position of 'Fearless Leader'. She absolutely loved the fact that she was the only one who got to see him like this. Yes, to an outsider, it might seem like she was jealous, but in reality, it just reaffirmed the fact that Marie was in love with him.

"Okay, here goes. Don't judge me 'til it's done, all right?"

Scott nodded, at the same time putting an arm around her.

"Well, I had decided earlier that I was gonna find Logan and talk to him about this – he's been avoiding me, if you haven't noticed."

"I did. He's been picking fights with me more often, too," Scott said, his gaze trained on the slight waves in the swimming pool.

"Aww. Sure you can hold your own, sugar?" Marie asked, twisting in Scott's lap so that she was looking at him.

Grinning, Scott nodded.

"Yes. I eat guys like him for breakfast."

Marie giggled. It was just the type of comment Scott used to cheer her up, and it worked every time. Most people would assume, from what they saw of Scott during the day, that he had no sense of humor whatsoever. As Logan was fond of saying, he thought Scott had a stick up his ass. However, what they didn't know was that Scott _did_ have a sense of humor, and when he was alone with Marie, he used it quite often. He could be very funny if he tried.

"Can I tell my story, please? Or would you rather just amuse yourself with your own comments?"

"No, you can tell it," Scott replied, smiling. "I'll just save my comments for later."

Rolling her eyes, Marie leaned her head back against Scott's shoulder and continued telling the story.

"I told you that he'd been avoiding me, and I was getting tired of not being able to talk to him. I had a feeling that he was holding the fact that you and I are a couple against me," Marie continued, raising her eyebrows briefly in surprise as Scott kissed her neck when she mentioned them being a couple. "I figured I'd find him and talk to him about it. Well, it took me _forever_ to find him. You know Logan, when he doesn't want to be found, you can't find him."

"Tell me about it," Scott said. "Mostly that seems to happen when we need to leave on a mission."

"Too true," Marie chimed in, smiling. "Anyway, I finally found him here – well, technically, if he hadn't spoken up, I would've gone on assuming the poolhouse was empty."

Marie shook her head, an angry expression crossing her face as she recalled the next events in the story.

"Logan seemed to think that I'd done something wrong by going out with you, almost as if I was cheating on him. So I told him that he was the one in the wrong, he was the one who had taken off with Jean. He responded with, _'Well, I came back, didn't I?'_ "

Marie mocked the way Logan had spoken to her, and Scott laughed at the impression. She was gesturing as she talked, and it was obvious to him that she was upset about it. Grabbing her hands mid-gesture, Scott pulled them to her sides gently, being careful to let go after only a few seconds (Marie's gloves were still sitting with her sandals by the tub). Bringing his hands up to her shoulders, Scott began to rub small circles under her shoulder bones.

"Calm down. There's no need to get all fussed about it for a second time," Scott said, and as Marie whirled around to face him, he continued, "and I understand. You had a right to be mad. Continue with the story."

Marie visibly calmed, and as she settled back into his arms, she went on with the story.

"I was angry. So I whacked him on the back of the head."

Scott chuckled, and Marie could feel the sound rumble in his chest. It was a nice feeling, and she found herself thinking _'I could get used to this.'_ After a few seconds' pause, Scott spoke.

"I'm sure Logan wasn't happy with that," he put in, his eyes twinkling behind the shades.

"He wasn't," Marie agreed, turning around halfway in his lap so that she was facing him again. "I was heading back for my sandals – I had taken them off to stick my legs in the tub – when he grabbed me and pulled me in, hence the fact that I'm dripping wet."

"Are you okay? You didn't hit anything as you fell, did you? And d'you need another towel?"

Marie chuckled slightly. Scott was still Scott, always the considerate one, no matter what the situation. Pressing a kiss to his forehead (it was the only part of him she could reach from her position), she smiled, shaking her head no.

"Nah, I'm fine…for now. However, when we're done, I would like to go upstairs and change."

"As you wish," Scott replied, and Marie beamed; he knew full well that The Princess Bride was one of her favorite movies of all time.

"So, to continue with my thrilling tale," Marie said, and she saw Scott roll his eyes behind the shades, "I tried to get out of Logan's clutches – which isn't a very easy task, if I may say so myself – and he really didn't seem intent on letting me go, so I feigned being all right with what he had done. He looked at me suspiciously for a few moments before letting me go."

"That still doesn't explain how you ended up pinned against the poolhouse wall," Scott said.

"If you'd let me _finish_, I'll get there. Geez, let me get a sentence in, okay?"

Scott sighed, kissing the top of Marie's head. Smiling, Marie took that as a sign to continue.

"So, I leaned in like I was gonna kiss him – "

"Did you?"

"Scott!" Marie said, giving him a playful shove as she got up off his lap. "If you're not gonna let me finish, I'm not gonna tell you."

Marie crossed her arms over her chest, her face set and determined as she looked down at him. After a few moments of standing in that position, Scott got up and pulled her into his arms. Looking down at her, he adjusted the towel so that it was hanging properly over her shoulders once more. Once that had been done, he spoke.

"Sit back down? I really want to hear the end of the story."

Scott sat back down on the floor as Marie looked at him for a moment, contemplating. Mostly, it was because she wanted to see how long he'd stand there before pulling her into his lap himself and because she wanted to tease him. After a minute or so, a smile crossed her face as she sat back down in his lap.

"Now, I'm gonna _try_ and finish the story. If you keep interrupting me, however, I'm not gonna. No more interruptions anymore, you understand?" Marie said, fixing him with the fiercest glare she could muster without bursting out laughing.

"I'll only interrupt if it's important."

Marie rolled her eyes, but continued. She'd make exceptions for Scott that she wouldn't make for anyone else; in fact, she'd do _anything_ for him. It was obvious even to a perfect stranger. Love tended to do that to you.

"So I leaned in like I was gonna kiss him, like this," Marie said, putting her hands on Scott's cheeks like she had with Logan, then took them away two seconds later. "'Cept, I didn't move them before my mutation kicked in."

Rogue's dropped her gaze to the ground, embarrassed. It was at that moment that the weight of what she had done hit her. At the time, she had done it out of anger. Now, she realized that if she had held on long enough, she could very well have killed her best friend.

"How long did you hold on?" Scott asked quietly, his tone emotionless.

"Three seconds or so. Not enough to do any real damage."

"Look at me, Marie," Scott said, grabbing her chin with one hand.

Scott dropped his hand back to his side as Marie shifted slightly, and it hit her at that moment that other than Logan, Scott was the only other person at the mansion that wasn't afraid to touch her, with gloves or without. In the past ten minutes or so, Scott had held her in his arms tenderly, and during that time, her gloves had been sitting by the edge of the hot tub, twenty feet away. He had always been careful when around her, but somehow, Scott had managed to turn careful into loving, and it meant the world to Marie. As she looked up at her boyfriend, a small tear ran down Marie's cheek, one which Scott wiped away almost instantly.

"Don't cry, Marie, I'm not angry at you," he said softly, looking at her.

"I know," she said, taking a deep breath and at the same time trying to not burst into tears. "It's just…I realized that you're not afraid."

A look of confusion passed over Scott's face as he looked down at Marie.

"Not afraid? Not afraid of what?" he asked, puzzled.

"Of me," Marie said quietly.

Scott's face brightened as he pulled Marie closer to him.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" he asked, smiling. "Are you supposed to be scary or something?"

Marie laughed. Scott always knew the right thing to say, whether he knew it was the right thing or not. It was just something that came naturally to him, and for that, Marie was grateful.

"No. At least, I don't think," she replied, laughing slightly. "It's just…everybody else is afraid to touch me, especially without gloves. You and Logan are the only ones who aren't."

"I'm just careful, that's all," Scott said, shrugging his shoulders. "That's all it takes."

Scott smiled at her, and Marie returned the gesture. Leaning up, she kissed him quickly before taking back her position on his lap. She was still half-facing him, and her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"You're welcome. You deserve it. Now, am I ever gonna get to hear the rest of the story?"

Marie laughed, the sound echoing like music off the tiles. Smiling at Scott, she nodded.

"Well, I only grabbed him long enough to disorient him. With his healing factor, he was back to normal within five seconds – it would have taken a normal person like you twenty minutes. Sometimes, I think he's just plain ridiculous…and damn lucky, too. Anyway, in the interim while his healing factor was kicking in, I got out of the tub and headed in the direction of my sandals and gloves. Five seconds later, he had caught up with me and pinned me to the wall."

"He wasn't threatening you, was he? 'Cause if he was, I'll hunt him down and kill him."

The smile had melted halfway off Marie's face, leaving an expression of half-happiness, half deep thoughtfulness on her face. Shaking her head slightly, she replied.

"No, he wasn't. He asked me…asked me why I chose you. If I had done it 'cause I knew it would piss him off."

"And what did you say?" Scott asked quietly, his face suddenly serious.

Both were speaking in hushed voices, almost as if they spoke at full volume, one or both would miss what was going on. The conversation had been steered into deep waters, and both wanted to catch every word. After all, they were talking about where they stood.

"I – I told him no. I didn't choose you because it would piss Logan off. I chose you because…"

"Because why?" Scott prompted her, after Marie had let the sentence hang for a moment or two.

"Because I – I love you," Marie said quietly, bringing her gaze up to look into Scott's shades.

The next minute was filled with silence as one looked at the other, neither moving, and to both sides, it felt like the longest minute in the history of time. Finally, Scott moved, turning Marie fully around on his lap so that she was facing him directly, straddling his lap. Taking a deep breath, he spoke.

"You – you really mean that?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Yes, yes I do," Marie replied, her voice stronger this time. "I love you, sugar."

Relief was clearly evident on Scott's face as he broke out into a grin. Pulling her to him in an almost bone-crushing hug, Scott looked her straight in the eyes as they broke apart. Marie was wearing a grin to match his own, and her eyes were twinkling brightly.

"I love you too, Marie," Scott said, still grinning, "and I should've told you that a _long_ time ago."

Marie continued grinning; it was almost as if she couldn't stop. She did stop, however, when Scott leaned in and kissed her, holding her in place for a little too long. Scott felt Marie's mutation kick in, and when they finally broke apart, he felt slightly light-headed.

"Ooh," Scott said, putting one hand on his head. "Now _there's_ a way to wake you up."

Marie giggled, at the same time running a hand through Scott's hair. The grin having returned to her face, she spoke.

"Sorry 'bout that, sugar."

"It's okay. Partially my fault anyway."

The two sat there for a couple minutes, neither saying anything as Scott regained his bearings and his head cleared. When it had, he stood up, extending a hand to Marie to help her up. She gratefully accepted the help, and Scott pulled his girlfriend to his feet. As he stared at her (in her still-soaking wet clothes), his brain finally registered the feeling of wet clothes against his skin. Looking down, he noticed that his pants were completely drenched, and his shirt had a wet spot the size of a dinner plate on the front. Smiling, he looked back at Marie, who had been watching him.

"Whaddya say we go upstairs and change?"

"I like that idea, Scott," Marie said quietly, smiling.

"Well, grab your gloves and sandals, and let's go."

Marie did as she was told, and together, the two headed back inside the mansion.

* * *

September 30th, 2006 – 1:45 PM, Scott's Bedroom

I could not possibly be any happier than I am at this moment. Well, that's probably not true. However, there are _very few_ things that could possibly make me any feel better. I'm lying in my boyfriend's arms, on my boyfriend's bed, in my boyfriend's room. Oh, and did I happen to mention that he said 'I love you'? Yes, that's right. Earlier today, Scott Summers told me he loves me. (He just said it again.) I feel like I'm floating on a cloud. Gods, this is amazing. And to think that it all started out with a crappy day. (AWW! Scott just said it was a crappy day because he didn't get to see me before he left to run errands. He's _so sweet!_ ) Yeah, I had gone to find Logan (which, did I mention, took an hour by itself?), and finally found him in the poolhouse, lounging in the hot tub. Long story short – I ended up sopping wet and trapped between the wall and him when Scott found us. (Scott's arm just tightened around my waist. I think somebody's a little jealous! HEY! I apologize that the 'Y' in 'HEY' takes up half the page. I was in the middle of writing it when Scott stole the book out from under my pen. It serves him right that he now has a huge blot of black ink in the middle of his midnight-blue comforter.) Anyway, to continue with what happened, Logan left without picking a fight with Scott (Did hell just freeze over? I think it might have – somebody better go down and check), and Scott and I sat down and had a nice long talk about what happened. At the end of the chat, he said the three words that I will remember forever. (And they're not 'you're mine forever,' like he just whispered in my ear. Although what he said _is_ true. He's grinning at me.) Well, whatever the case, I think the day turned out to be pretty good. (Scott's nodding in agreement. Thanks for your input, Scott, although I'm pretty sure that I can make judgments for myself. He's laughing now. Do you see what I put up with every day, diary?)

After we came up and changed clothes (and did I mention how nice it was to put on a pair of dry clothes? Wet jeans are very cold and scratchy, for the record.), Scott and I went outside and had a picnic. It was only sandwiches and potato chips, but it really was wonderful. It shows the mark of a good boyfriend to make having a picnic in your own backyard fun. It's true, though. It seems that no matter what activity I'm engaged in with Scott (he just whispered something in my ear that I'm not even going to dignify with a response – my blushing profusely is a response in itself), I have a great time. I could do this forever; just spend time with him between classes and missions. He's always there with a smile and a hug when I'm not feeling well or having a bad day, and no matter what the situation, he always manages to make me feel better. I love him, diary, with every iota of my body and every fiber of my being. I don't know how to say it to make it any more plain than it already is. You get the point. (That's right, Scott. Look smug all you want. This is gonna come back and bite you in the ass one day. Fair warning. He's laughing again.)

Well, that's about all I'm going to write for now – Scott just suggested we go down to the rec room and watch a movie. (I really like that idea; it gives me a great excuse to cuddle with him. And judging by the way he just pulled me closer to him – it almost made me draw a line right down the middle of his comforter – I don't think objects.) I'll write more soon – I _promise_. However, something good'll have to happen first. Maybe a vacation…? (Scott just laughed. I think I'm gonna have to punch him. He just laughed again. This is torture, I tell you!) Until next time, diary.

* * *

Scott and Marie spent the rest of the day watching movies in the rec room and eating popcorn. It seemed that they enjoyed it so much that it had caught on as a mansion-wide activity. If they decided to sit and watch a movie, by the time the film was finished, every spot on the couch would be filled and there would be at least three kids sitting on the floor. It served not only as a time to forget your problems as you got lost in the film, but as a time to cuddle with one another and spend some quality time together that you didn't get during the day. As it got closer and closer to eleven o'clock, kids began trickling out of the rec room and up towards their bedrooms. (Eleven o'clock was curfew on weekdays.) When the movie finally ended, Scott and Marie were the last ones left in the room. As Scott got up to take the DVD out of the player, Marie stretched, looking much like a cat after its afternoon nap. Putting the DVD box back in the rack where it belonged, Scott walked over to where Marie stood, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, bedtime," Scott said, his eyes twinkling behind the ruby-red shades.

"Bedtime is for weenies," Marie said, pouting. "I'm nineteen; I shouldn't have to go to bed."

"Curfew applies to _everyone_, not just the younger kids. And I guess that makes you a weenie, then."

"Scott!" Marie said as he pulled her to him.

Looking up at him, she gave him a playful poke in the chest.

"That was set up so you'd defend me, not _make fun_ of me!"

Scott laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest. Marie could feel the vibration as she leaned against him, and when he pulled himself together again, she could hear his heart beating steadily through his shirt. Sighing happily, she just stood there, arms around his waist. Scott wrapped his arms around Marie, pulling her as close to him as he could possibly get, speaking as he did so.

"What can I say? You walked right into that one."

"Still!" Marie protested. "You're my _boyfriend_. It's part of your job to stick up for me."

"I don't remember reading that in the job description," Scott said, smiling down at her.

"It's in the fine print," Marie whispered into his chest.

Scott laughed again, the sound echoing in the now-empty rec room. Pulling himself together, Scott's gaze caught the clock hanging on the rec room wall: 11:12 PM. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at the girl in his arms, a serious expression on his face.

"You need to go up to bed, Marie. I mean it this time."

"Yeah, yeah."

Marie rolled her eyes as she let go of Scott and stepped back a few paces. Sighing, she realized he was right. Until she became a teacher (which is what she planned to do once she graduated at the end of this year), curfew still applied. Remembering what Xavier had told her when she first arrived about always being open to suggestions, she vaguely made a note in the back of her mind about abolishing bedtime.

"Come on, Marie," Scott said, grabbing her hand. "I'll walk you upstairs."

"Always the gentleman, aren't you, Scott?" she asked, grinning at him.

"I try."

Together, the pair walked up the main staircase, stopping only once on the way to Marie's bedroom so that Scott could tell Remy to get back in his own room and get to bed. The dorms in Xavier's mansion were separated down two different corridors: one corridor held the students' dorms, and the other held the teachers'. As it happened, Marie's bedroom was at the very end of the students' corridor, making the distance between hers and Scott's bedroom five feet. (Scott's bedroom was the first one down the teachers' corridor, and the two dorm corridors connected via a hallway between Scott's and Marie's rooms.) When they reached the door to Marie's room, she made a face; it was obvious that she wasn't happy with having to go to bed.

"Go on," Scott prodded, giving her a slight nudge on the shoulder. "Bedtime."

"I'm a big girl, bedtime shouldn't apply."

"We went through this, Marie. As it is, it's already past curfew. If you stay out any later, I'll get in trouble with Charles."

Marie contemplated this fact for a moment. On the one hand, she really didn't want to go to bed; there were a good number of television shows that came on at eleven o'clock that she liked to watch. On the other hand, however, she really had no desire to get Scott into trouble. Sighing, she opened the door and made to go inside, but stopped quickly as an idea hit her. Turning around, she gave Scott a quick kiss before looking up at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked, raising one eyebrow at her.

"Well, curfew means I have to be in bed, right?"

Scott nodded in agreement, very unsure as to where this conversation was heading. Marie's smile was growing with each passing second, and after all, she wouldn't know the answer to her question unless she gave it a shot and asked.

"The rules of curfew don't say _whose_ bed, do they?"

Marie's eyes twinkled brightly as Scott ran a hand through his hair, whether in exhaustion or frustration, she didn't know. Taking a deep breath, Scott sighed, placing both hands on Marie's shoulders as he looked down at her.

"Technically, they do. And I know where you're heading with this," Scott continued as Marie opened her mouth to speak again, "and the answer's no."

"But Scott, please?"

"No. You have classes tomorrow, and you need your sleep. Plus, I get up much earlier than you each day – I'd wake you."

"Scott, _please_?"

"Marie, no."

"Scott, _please_?"

Marie looked up at him, giving him puppy eyes. Scott looked her over for a moment, then sighed heavily. Rubbing his temples slightly, Scott took what was left of his dignity and conceded defeat.

"Okay, but just for tonight."

"Hooray!" Marie said, practically bouncing up and down. "Let's go!"

Rolling his eyes as Marie grabbed his hand, the two walked down the hall to Scott's room, the door shutting behind them with a snap. Marie stood in the middle of the room, looking around at everything as if she hadn't ever seen it before, which, of course, she had (many times). Scott rummaged through his drawers and tossed her a tee-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms. Looking at him quizzically, Marie spoke.

"What're you giving these to me for?"

"To wear," Scott replied simply, grinning. "Isn't that what you generally do with clothes?"

Frowning slightly, Marie walked into the bathroom to change, shutting the door quietly behind her. Scott got undressed as he waited for his girlfriend to finish – _'A tee-shirt and pants should be enough to protect me from her skin'_ – then sat down on the bed, his gaze trained on the bathroom door. After what seemed like an eternity to Scott, the bathroom door opened and Marie stood in the doorway, looking slightly tense for a moment before walking over to the bed and sitting down next to him. She gracefully let herself fall in the middle of the bed, her hair spreading out like a curtain underneath her head. Scott looked down, cocking one eyebrow at her.

"D'you plan to leave me _any_ room to sleep?"

"Just a little," Marie replied, grinning. "At the foot of the bed."

Scott shook his head as he sat down on the bed, forcibly moving Marie over so that he wasn't falling off. She turned around and glared at him, but he simply shrugged and got under the covers. Marie had her body turned towards him, leaning her head on one hand, still laying on top of the blankets. She was looking at him intently, despite the fact that he had closed his eyes. Five seconds later, Scott opened his eyes and looked at her questioningly.

"Are you gonna lay there all night like that, or are you actually going to lay down and sleep?"

Marie pretended to think about it for a moment before getting under the covers and moving over so that she was laying next to the leader of the X-Men. Reaching up, Scott turned off the lamp that sat on his bedside table, then placed a kiss on the top of Marie's head as he laid back down.

"G'Night, Marie. Sweet dreams."

"You too, sugar," Marie replied as she snuggled closer to him.

Scott wrapped one of his arms around Marie as she leaned against him before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Both would agree, upon waking up the next morning, that it had been the most restful sleep they'd had in weeks.

* * *

October 1st, 2006 – 7:35 AM, the Kitchen

Remember how I said waking up next to Scott on the Rec Room couch was amazing? Well, that has nothing on waking up next to him in bed – more specifically, _his_ bed. Gods, it was incredible! If I didn't have class today, I'd still be laying in bed with him. (Actually, I'm not sure about that. Just because I don't have classes doesn't mean Scott wouldn't have any classes to teach. However, that doesn't matter, and it's not the point.) We woke up at quarter to seven, and I've been up ever since. I'm writing this from the kitchen as I eat breakfast (Cheerios RULE!), and I'm having a really hard time making sure that your pages don't get wet, diary. With five other kids and three adults in the kitchen as the same time as I, something's _bound_ to spill. I just know it. Chances are, _I'll_ be the one doing the spilling. I just have that kind of luck.

Scott said that he'd take me out for dinner and dancing tomorrow after he finished teaching his last class. He also mentioned that it would be someplace _fancy_. Like, dresses, suits, and ties. _Fancy_ fancy. I CAN'T WAIT! I've had this aquamarine dinner dress practically _forever_, and I've never had anyplace to wear it. Now, I actually can. I'm so excited. Scott's never taken me out before, and knowing his taste, it's bound to be fantastic. I'll have to borrow Kitty's aquamarine earrings to match the dress, and Beth's sky blue high heels. Oh, and I'll have to learn how to dance. And QUICKLY. Well, I suppose it's okay if I make a fool of myself in front of Scott – except if _he_ knows how to dance. Does he? I really don't know. Gods, now I'm nervous! Oh, I'm totally not going to be able to concentrate in classes tomorrow! Oh well, this kind of thing doesn't happen all the time, y'know! Hopefully, I'll be the belle of the ball.

Twisting the Night Away,

Marie


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I totally apologize for taking four months off from this story. I've had a ton of things to do, and because of it, I put this story on the back burner...and sort of forgot about it. However, because of my faithful readers (you know who you are), the reviews I've been getting jogged my memory, and I started writing once more. Hopefully, I'll be able to write the next chapter in less than four months. (I will, I'm just joking.) Thanks so much to all of my readers - you guys ROCK!

**Gynx8: **I know how you feel. Logan is one of my favorite characters, and yet I'm making him out to be the bad guy in the story. Hopefully, I'll be able to transfer most of the blame to Jean. However, nobody knows how the story's gonna turn out (including me). We'll just have to see.

**Lunafan:** Yeah, I'm a die-hard romantic at heart. I can't help but make everything all mushy and happy...despite the fact that real life doesn't always work that way. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this one too.

**FredWeasleyLover1126:** I'm honored that you think that this is the best fanfiction you've ever read. You just made my day. Seriously. I love to hear from my readers, and that's extremely high praise. Thank you so much, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you have the others.

**Harpiebird:** Trust me, I plan to finish this fanfic, no matter how long it takes. (I don't know how long it's going to be, that all depends on what ideas come to me, but still.) Thank you so much for the nice review.

**bluemoon-175:** Here's the update. Next time, I'll try to get the chapters out every two weeks or so. However, it all depends on school. I'll do my best, though. Thanks for the review!

**UltimateRider: **I'm glad you love the story - it's always nice to find that people enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. Thanks so much!

**SouthernLoner: **Yeah, me too. There are _way_ too few Scouge stories out there. I'm glad you like mine, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

And now, the long overdue Chapter Eight.

* * *

The Life of an Untouchable – Chapter Eight

October 2nd, 2006 – 3:45 PM, My Bedroom

It's official – I'm going to die of a heart attack at the age of nineteen. Okay, well, that's not true, but it's how I feel right now. Scott's taking me out for a night of dinner and dancing, and I'm busy panicking my head off (which isn't really helping me get ready, may I add). We're leaving in a little less than two hours, and I don't think I'm going to be finished by then. (Jubilee says I'll be done way before then, but I don't exactly believe her.) I've already taken a shower, but I still have to get dressed and have Jubes and Kitty help me with my hair. Help!

Kitty just told me to think about something else to distract me, but what should I think about? I rant about classes too much, and if I think about Logan and Jean (both of whom still aren't treating me normally), I'll just get myself upset. Hmm…Jubes suggests talking about my outfit (typical Jubilee), so here goes. My dress is a beautiful shade of aquamarine that matches the color of the ocean. The sleeves come down to slightly above my elbows, and they're made of this see-through flowy material that's light as air; the torso part of the dress forms a "v" from the tops of the sleeves to just above my chest, and the skirt hangs just below my knees. (It's made of the kind of material that flows out in a swirl when you turn around, much like the girls always wear in the movies.) I went out to the mall this morning to buy a pair of elbow-length gloves to match, and they're perfect. With Kitty's earrings and Beth's high heels in addition to the gloves, I feel like a princess.

I can tell that tonight is going to be wonderful. I trust Scott's judgment completely, so I'm sure that wherever he takes me, I'm bound to have a great time. (He's also known to have very good taste, so that's just another reason to trust him.) Kitty just finished my hair – wait, Jubes went to get a flower barrette, so I'm _almost_ done, but even so – WOW. My hair's pulled up in a simple ponytail in the back with sections curled in ringlets that bounce when I move. In the front, there's a ringlet on each side of my face. I'm not trying to be snobby or anything, but I look _gorgeous_. Jubilee and Kitty did a wonderful job, and I couldn't have asked for anything more. All I can say is this: Scott's gonna be speechless.

I can't believe an hour and fifteen minutes has passed already while I've been getting dressed. Well, it's time to go. Let's hope that in my advanced state of nervousness, I don't trip and go careening down the main staircase. That would be horrible. The last thing I need right now is another trip to the med lab. I'll make sure to write another entry once I get back home, explaining how much fun I had. Well, I really have to go now – if I don't, I'll be late. Later, diary!

* * *

Rogue put her pen inside her diary, which she in turn sat down on her bed. She looked at her two best friends, the emotion in her eyes saying what words alone could not. Smiling at Jubilee and Kitty, she spoke.

"Thank you guys so much. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think we do, chica," Jubilee said, getting up from the chair she had been sitting on across the room to plop herself down on the bed.

"Yeah," Kitty piped up, smiling at Rogue. "You and Mister Summers need this time alone, and we're more than happy to help."

"As long as you tell us everything that happened once you get back," Jubilee added, smirking. "I'll need details, girl – everything you can give me."

Marie smiled and hugged her two best friends. Looking at them, she realized just how lucky she was. She was a mutant who had found sanctuary, friends, and a family. It was something that was irreplaceable in her heart, and she knew that she would treasure that fact forever. Wiping a small tear from her eye, she smiled again.

"Thank ya so much," Marie said, her accent becoming more evident in her emotional state.

"You're welcome, chica. Now go!"

Rogue grinned and put her hand up in a mock-salute as she stood. Buckling the belt on her high heels (Beth had let her borrow them for the night), she crossed the room and was almost out the door when she turned around.

"Thank ya again."

"GO!" both girls yelled simultaneously.

Marie grinned again and left the room. Earlier in the day, she and Scott had agreed to meet in the foyer when the time came for them to leave, so she started down the hallway in that direction. As she walked down the hallway, she noticed quite a few of the mansion's boys stick their heads out of their bedroom doorways to look at her as she passed. Grinning, she made it to the staircase unscathed. (It was obvious that all of the boys had been too dumbfounded to do anything more than stare.) As Marie headed down the stairs into the foyer, she noticed that Scott wasn't there yet. Nodding to herself and at the same time hoping that the butterflies in her stomach would disappear, she noticed that there were voices coming from the kitchen. Though Marie could only catch snatches of what was being said, it was enough to figure out who the voices belonged to: Logan and Jean. Suddenly, there was the sound of a chair being dragged backwards, and two seconds later, Logan came strolling out of the kitchen into the foyer, stopping dead as his gaze fell on Marie. Eyes widening, he moved a step closer, touching a gloved hand with one of his own, almost as if to see whether or not she was real.

"Ma-Marie?" he croaked, seemingly having trouble finding his voice.

"Yes, Logan?"

A minute or two passed in which Logan opened and closed his mouth several times, not being able to find the right words. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Marie (who had been grinning the entire time), Logan broadened his vocabulary to one word.

"Wow."

Marie laughed, her eyes glinting in amusement.

"I'll take that as a compliment, sugar."

"Hell yeah, it's a compliment," Logan said, finally finding his voice. "You look beautiful, darlin'."

"Thanks, Logan," Marie replied, blushing slightly.

"You deserve it. So, where're you goin'? 'Cause unless I'm very mistaken, girls don't go out lookin' like that all the time."

Logan half-smiled at Marie, at the same time quirking a brow in question. Marie half-smiled back, although inside, she was panicking. _'What should I tell him? If I tell him I'm going out with Scott, he'll flip out, but if I lie to him, he'll see right through it! Ugh, what do I do?'_

Marie opened her mouth to reply (though what she was going to say, she didn't have a clue) just as Scott walked down the stairs into the foyer, decked out in a tux and black tie. Logan's expression hardened instantly, and Marie whirled around, skirt swishing, in time to see Scott's smile be replaced with a scowl. Looking back and forth between the two men, Marie felt as if she was trapped in No Man's Land in the middle of World War III. Sighing audibly with her shoulders slumping, Marie turned to Logan.

"I'm going out," she said simply.

Logan growled and grabbed Marie's arm roughly as she turned back to face Scott, causing her to cry out in pain. Scott's eyes widened behind his shades and his scowl deepened as Logan pulled Marie to him.

"Let her go, Logan," Scott said calmly, the tone of his voice a huge contrast to the fire blazing in his eyes, visible even through the shades.

"Yeah, let me go!" Marie chirped, her voice slightly higher than normal due to the dull pain in her left arm.

"No," Logan replied, his eyes never leaving Scott's shades.

"Logan, _let me go!_"

Logan ignored the order, his hand still gripping Marie's left arm. Rogue knew better than to try and fight him off – if it had been anyone else, she might have considered it, but the fact that Logan was still grasping her hurt arm and that he was one of the strongest guys in the mansion made it stupid to try. A few of the mansion's kids had settled on the staircase and were watching the fight with interest (all of them were too young to help anyway). Scott had noticed this, and was looking back and forth between Logan and Marie, trying to figure out some way to end the fight. Despite his efforts, however, he couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't potentially backfire on him. If he risked taking a shot at Logan, it was possible that he might hit Marie accidentally, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen right now, especially because she was already hurt. However, if he didn't shoot, what was he to do? What other options were left? Making up his mind, Scott spoke.

"Logan, let her _go_. This is between you and me. If you want to pick a fight, go ahead, but leave Marie out of it."

Scott took a step closer to Logan, and in response, Logan took a step back, dragging Marie with him and releasing the claws on his right hand with a SNIK'T. Marie jumped in Logan's arms and her heart rate practically doubled, something that Wolverine picked up on almost immediately. Looking down at the girl in his arms for the first time in minutes, Logan spoke.

"I'm doing this for _you_, y'know," he said quietly.

"For _me?!_" Marie exploded at him, wrenching her arm out of his grasp – his grip had slackened due to lack of attention. "How is this for _me_, may I ask?"

As Logan tried to put his thoughts into words, Marie backed up out of his reach and into Scott's arms, her heels clicking on the tile floor as she walked. The number of students watching from the stairs had doubled by this point, and in that number included students old enough to help quell the argument, such as Kitty, Jubilee, and Bobby. However, they were all smart enough to know not to get involved in a fight between Cyclops and Wolverine.

"I swore to protect you," Logan said, eyes gleaming with anger at Scott as he released the claws on his other hand, "and I plan to keep my word."

Marie had known from the moment that Scott had come down that a fight between the two was inevitable. _'However,'_ she thought to herself, _'I'm gonna do my best to stop it.'_ Slowly, purposefully, Marie moved to stand in between Scott and Logan with her back to Cyclops. She knew that Scott would never hurt her intentionally (or at all, if he could help it), and as of this moment, it was Logan that was the problem.

"Marie, move," Scott said, giving her a gentle shove, his eyes never leaving Logan's.

"No."

"Marie, _move_."

"No."

"Marie, _move_, damnit!"

Marie raised her eyebrows at Scott's comment – he only ever cursed when he was _really_ angry – at the same time taking two steps to the right as she turned to face her boyfriend. Opening her mouth to retort, Logan saw that moment as the perfect opportunity to take a swipe at Scott, who had his eyes on Marie and was temporarily distracted. As three lines of blood appeared as scratches on Scott's face (Marie screamed), Scott let loose an optic blast that sent Logan crashing into the foyer wall at the far end of the room, creating quite a few cracks in the drywall. Moving closer to Scott with concern in her eyes, Marie put a gloved hand to his face, her back to Logan. She was so worried over the fact that Scott was hurt that she didn't see Logan get up from where he had been thrown, fire blazing in his eyes. Scott also didn't see it; he was looking down at Marie, trying to assure her that he was okay.

"Chica, look out!"

Marie whirled around at Jubilee's yell, just in time to have Logan's claws pierce her left arm, the same one that had been hurt by him earlier. At that moment, as Professor Xavier, Hank, and Storm walked into the foyer, their views of Marie blocked by Logan's body, it was almost as if time had stopped. Everyone with the exception of the three of them ceased to move. Xavier and Storm had looks of extreme displeasure on their faces, and Hank was wearing a puzzled expression, trying to figure out why Scott looked so helpless at the current moment. One second later, time had been set back in motion again: Jubilee and Kitty screamed, Logan retracted his claws with a panicked look, and Marie collapsed into Scott's arms, her left arm bleeding at a very quick rate. As Scott grabbed Marie's arm and began putting pressure on it (causing her to wince badly and curse), Hank rushed over to Scott's side.

"What happened here?" Xavier asked.

While all this had been going on, Logan hadn't moved an inch; he was standing still as a statue with the panicked look still on his face. As Jean rushed into the foyer with Hank's medical bag (it was obvious that Xavier had sent her the message to bring it telepathically), Ororo began shepherding the students who had been watching from the staircase up to their rooms. Jean levitated Rogue using her telekinesis, and together, she, Rogue, and Hank left the foyer, heading for the med lab. Scott went to follow, but Xavier sent him a mental nudge before he could leave the room.

'_Wait a moment, Scott. I'd like to speak with you.'_

Scott nodded numbly in reply and stopped in mid-step; as of the current moment, he was barely aware of what was going on around him. Marie was hurt, and that was all that really mattered to him right now. He was so out of it that he didn't even have the heart to yell at Logan for what he had done.

"Logan," Xavier began, but the sound of Charles' voice seemed to break the trance-like state Wolverine had been in, and despite the Professor's further urgings, Logan left out the front door; his bike could be heard leaving the driveway two minutes later.

Sighing audibly, Xavier turned to Cyclops, who hadn't moved since he had received the mental message; he was standing in the middle of the foyer, looking lost and helpless.

"Scott, what happened?"

A few seconds passed, during which Scott tried to gather his thoughts before speaking. Xavier waited patiently, at the same time giving Scott the once-over. It was obvious from the three diagonal scratches on the fearless leader's left cheek that the fight between one of his oldest students and the Wolverine had contained more than just words. Sighing, Charles met the younger man's gaze as he began telling the story.

"Marie and I were going out – I had asked her last night if she had wanted to have dinner with me tonight and go dancing afterwards. She had said yes."

Scott smiled briefly at the memory, then continued with his anecdote.

"We had agreed earlier this morning to meet in the foyer when we were ready to go. She finished first, because when I got down here, she was already here – and she wasn't alone. Logan was with her."

Xavier nodded, encouraging Scott to continue. Scott walked over to the staircase and sat down on the landing, then resumed his story, scowling slightly.

"I don't know what they had been talking about before I got down, but she told him she was going out, and he didn't seem happy with that answer – or to approve, for that matter. He grabbed her left arm as she was turning around, and she screamed – obviously, he had pulled something the wrong way, because she was in pain. I tried to persuade Logan to let Marie go, but he wouldn't listen to reason. He told her something about his promise to protect her, and that he wasn't going to break his word."

Scott shook his head angrily, the fury he felt flashing through his eyes behind the ruby-red shades.

"Protect her, my _ass_!" he burst out, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "That was just an excuse to get to me!"

"Scott, please," Xavier said, trying his best to calm the younger man. "Continue."

Taking a deep breath, the leader of the X-Men sighed, then continued with his story, at the same time running a hand through his hair again.

"She managed to break free of his grasp and make her way back over to me, but we were both too distracted to see him coming before it was too late. He scratched me, and I sent him flying into the far wall. I can pay for that if you need me to," Scott added after a few seconds' pause.

"No, that won't be necessary. Just continue, please."

"Well, Marie was looking at the scratches with her back to Logan, and I was looking down at her – oh! Be sure to thank Jubilee. If it wasn't for her yell, one of us would be in a lot worse shape than we are now."

Scott nodded, almost as if trying to confirm with himself that what he was saying was indeed the truth. After another few seconds' pause, he continued.

"So, Jubilee yelled, Marie whirled around, and Logan stabbed her in the left arm – the same arm he had hurt before, mind you. Two seconds later, you, Storm, and Hank walked in. You know the rest."

Scott sighed, then closed his eyes as he let his head drop into his hands. Xavier could hear Cyclops trying (and failing) to hold himself together as he wheeled himself over and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Abruptly, Scott looked up, staring helplessly at his mentor.

"If I had been paying more attention to Logan – "

"Don't think that way, Scott," Xavier said as he cut the younger man off. "This isn't your fault. You did what you could, and that's all I could ever ask of you."

"But that's not true!" Scott exclaimed as he got up from his spot on the stairs and began pacing up and down the foyer floor. "Charles, I could have prevented this!"

"No, you couldn't!" Xavier shot back, raising his voice so that it echoed in the almost empty room.

Scott stopped his pacing and looked directly at Xavier. In all the years that he had known Charles, his mentor had only raised his voice twice – both were in times of dire need when the team had been falling apart at the seams, and in both cases, it had solved the problem. It took the shock of hearing Xavier yell to get Cyclops to pull himself back together again.

"I'm sorry, sir," Scott said quietly, looking at the floor.

"It's all right, Scott," Xavier replied, resuming his normal tone as if nothing had happened. "Everyone needs to let their emotions loose from time to time. Even you. It's part of what helps us cope."

Scott nodded, sitting back down on the staircase landing. Undoing his bow tie, he looked up at Xavier.

"I'm just so worried – what if the wound leave a scar? What if Hank can't fix her? What if she can't ever use that arm again? What if – "

"Scott, enough. Sitting there wondering 'what if?' will only make this harder on you. I'm sure that Hank will be able to patch Rogue up. Now, why don't you head down to the med lab to see for yourself?"

Scott nodded once more and got up off the stairs, at the same time brushing dirt off his tux jacket. Smiling slightly, he sent a mental 'thank you' to Xavier as he left the room. He was heading for the staircase right around the corner that would lead him to the lower level of the mansion where the med lab was located, and Charles could hear his thoughts even as he put more distance between them. (Xavier was used to this – for Scott especially, the more stressed he became, the more he unknowingly projected his thoughts.) As Scott left, Xavier smiled to himself.

'_She's the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he to her. They make each other truly happy.'_

With a smile at that final thought, Xavier left the foyer and headed for his office.

Scott took the stairs two at a time as he headed for the mansion's underground level. His hair was a mess, his bow tie was untied and in danger of falling off completely, and yet, as he entered the med lab, he still looked like the perfect example of authority. It was amazing (and frankly, it puzzled many of the students) how he could look like a complete mess by his own normal standards, but by anyone else's, he still looked fine. Despite that fact, Scott Summers felt like a complete wreck. Walking past the table with Hank's and Jean's microscopes on it, his gaze found Hank leaning over Marie on a table in the far corner of the room. As he approached where Hank stood, he had to will his heart to slow down – his heart rate had practically doubled since he had entered the room.

"How is she?" Scott asked, his gaze traveling back and forth between Hank, who was looking at him, to Marie, who was lying down on the table with her eyes closed.

"She'll live, don't you worry. Surprisingly, none of the bones in her arm were broken. I put a bandage around the wound that'll need to stay on for at least three weeks while it heals, so make sure she keeps it on," Hank replied, his eyes still trained on Cyclops.

At that moment, Marie mumbled something unintelligible, slightly startling Scott, who hadn't been aware that she was awake.

"What was that?" Scott asked, smiling slightly. "I didn't quite catch it."

Marie opened her eyes and smiled at Scott, quite glad to see his face. The light from the fluorescent bulbs of the med lab reflected off his shades, masking his eyes in the glare.

"I said, 'so much for dinner and dancing,'" Marie replied, her smile wilting slightly. "And here I was thinking that I was gonna have a good night."

Scott laughed as he pulled up a chair and sat down, his eyes twinkling behind the ruby-red shades. It never ceased to amaze him how much he cared about Marie. After all, it had only been three weeks ago that Jean had left him for Logan. In the meantime, he had fallen in love with Rogue, and fallen _hard_. Looking at her sitting there in front of him, Scott realized that he was looking at his world. He loved Marie with all of his heart, and nothing was going to change that. To quote The Princess Bride, "this is true love – do you think this happens every day?"

"Well, if you count getting stabbed for the second time in your life _fun_, then I'd say you had a good night," Scott said, earning him a playful shove from his girlfriend.

Hank watched the two with a knowing smile and a twinkle in his eyes. Being the quiet person that he normally was, his characteristics allowed him to observe the interaction between members of the X-Men without having his motives questioned. Before Logan and Jean had left the mansion for their two week jaunt, Hank had told Xavier that Jean would leave Scott.

"_She's going to leave him, you know," Hank commented lightly to Xavier over lunch._

_The two were sitting in Charles' study, enjoying a cup of tea together as they watched Scott and Jean sitting together on the hammock outside. Scott had his arms around Jean as they lay there in the summer breeze, rocking the hammock slowly with his foot. The two looked like they were having a genuinely good time, neither exhibiting signs of discontent. Xavier looked away from the window to cock an eyebrow at Dr. McCoy._

"_You really think so, Henry?" Xavier asked, and when Hank nodded, he continued. "And what would give you that idea?"_

_Hank shifted his gaze to looking out the window; Scott and Jean were now sitting up, one on each side of the hammock, balancing the weight so that it didn't tip over and knock one or both of them off. He could see them talking, but what about would remain a mystery._

"_Jean's getting restless. She's tired of doing the same things with the same people – including Scott – every day, and pretty soon, she's going to change that."_

"_You say that like she's told you in person," Xavier said, meeting McCoy's gaze again._

"_Charles, she practically has."_

_Xavier took another look out the window, then faced his friend again._

"_Henry, you may be right about her going to change – I've sensed it from her as well – but I highly doubt she's going to leave Scott. The two are practically inseparable."_

Two weeks after that conversation, Jean did indeed leave Scott as she took off with Logan on the back of his bike. Focusing his attention back on Scott and Marie, he found that the two had lapsed into pleasant conversation. Marie was now sitting up with her back against the wall, and Scott was still standing, leaning his weight against the examination table that Marie was sitting on. Clearing his throat, the two younger mutants stopped talking and looked up at him expectantly.

"Rogue, you're free to go. However, you know the rules. No strenuous activity for at least three weeks, and be careful not to get the bandage wet."

Marie nodded and went to get down off the table when Hank took a step forward and interrupted her movements, speaking once again.

"Oh, and you might need someone to help you dress and undress," Hank said, throwing a wink in Scott's direction. "You most likely won't be able to get shirts on and off by yourself for at least three weeks."

Scott raised his eyebrows as Marie flushed as brightly as the setting sun, dropping her gaze to the floor. Hank gave the two a final nod before turning and heading in the direction of the chemical supply closet, leaving Scott and Marie alone. A minute or two passed before either one moved or said anything. Finally, Scott spoke.

"Do you need any help getting down?"

Marie lifted her gaze from the floor for the first time in minutes to look at Scott. Flashing him a small smile, she wiggled her body to the edge of the table and jumped down. Grabbing his hands in her own (Hank had left her gloves on as he bandaged her arm), Marie leaned up and kissed him. Stepping back a pace, she smiled at him again.

"I think I'm okay for now."

Scott smiled in return, not moving from where he stood. After a few minutes of standing immobile, Marie raised one eyebrow at him.

"What?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and wearing an expression that reminded Scott very much of Logan.

Chuckling, Scott took the few steps necessary to place him directly in front of Marie, grabbed her hands, brought them up to his mouth, and kissed them. The confused expression on Marie's face faded to be replaced with a smile.

"I was just admiring your dress…and you in it," Scott said, grinning at her as the two of them headed for the door to the med lab.

"Well, thanks. You don't look so bad yourself, handsome."

Marie grinned back at Scott as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Stopping where they were (halfway to the door), Scott leaned down and kissed Marie, making sure to break the contact between them before her mutation kicked in and started sucking him dry. Smiling at her again as they broke apart, Scott playfully yanked on one of the ringlets in Marie's ponytail. Marie opened her mouth to say something about it, but Scott put a hand over her mouth in an effort to be able to speak first.

"You really do look beautiful, you know."

Marie's expression softened as she ceased struggling against him. Blushing slightly, she spoke.

"Thank you."

Marie flushed again as Scott kissed the top of her head.

"I just wish this hadn't happened. I really wanted to go out for dinner and go dancing."

"We can always do that another night," Scott replied as they left the med lab and headed for the staircase to go upstairs. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I don't know if you can call getting stabbed with foot-long adamantium claws 'okay,' but – "

"What I meant was that there's no lasting damage," Scott interrupted, putting an arm around Marie's shoulders as they walked.

"Yeah, true."

They walked along in silence for a while, having run out of things to say. When they reached the foyer where the whole thing had started, Marie stopped dead in her tracks, looking at the empty room almost as if she could see the incident play out before her eyes. Scott, who had reached the stairs before realizing that Marie had stopped, walked back over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Marie glanced up, looking almost as if she had just come out of a trance.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at his girlfriend with concern.

"Yeah," Marie replied, shaking her head slightly almost as if to clear her head. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for asking, Scott."

Scott smiled and nodded, then kissed the top of her head. Glancing quickly at the stairs, then back at Marie, he spoke.

"If you wanted to go upstairs and change, that's fine by me. We can have dinner afterward, too, if you'd like.."

"Uh, that would be nice. I'm sorry we didn't get to go out and eat, though."

"Marie, you don't have to be sorry at all; it's not your fault," Scott replied as the two climbed the stairs together.

"It _is_, though," Marie said, pushing the door open to her room and walking inside – Scott shut the door behind himself. "If I hadn't gotten in the middle – "

"Look, what's done is done," Scott said as he sat down on the bed. "It's over. Don't worry about it. Now, do you need help getting changed?"

Marie flushed a deep crimson, but shook her head no, her gaze dropping to the floor once again.

"If I do, I'll let you know, okay?" she asked.

"That's fine," Scott replied, smiling as he got up off the bed and headed toward the door. "I'll meet you in the kitchen, all right?"

"Sounds good, sugar."

Scott turned away from the door, walked over to Marie, gave her a swift kiss, and left the room, heading for his own bedroom so that he could change out of his tux.

* * *

October 2nd, 2006 – 10:15 PM, Scott's Bedroom

I know I promised to give you all the wonderful details about my night of dinner and dancing, but I have one little problem with that. We never went. Yes, I can hear your shocked tone, diary – _WHAT? You didn't go? Why not? You were so excited about this! What happened? _Well, I'll tell you what happened. I got dressed, was all excited about having a marvelous night out with Scott, but I forgot about one _teeny_ detail – Logan. I hadn't told him that I was going out because, naturally, he'd flip out if he knew. Well, I made it down to the foyer _just_ as he was leaving the kitchen and coming my way. Me and my horrible timing. If I had come downstairs two minutes later, this whole thing could have been avoided. Well, he caught onto the fact that I was going out really quickly – I don't go to the mall dressed in an evening gown every day, y'know. So, there I was, trying to explain to him that I was going out, and Scott comes downstairs, dressed in a tux and black tie (_Boy,_ did he look nice!). Within thirty seconds, all hell had broken loose. Let's just say that after a fight between the two of them, I ended up worse for the wear. Logan just has a bump to the back of his head (which is healing _really quickly_, that BASTARD!), Scott has three scratches on his face, and I, who did _nothing_ to start this argument, ended up being stabbed in the arm. This WASN'T MY FAULT. Why then, may I ask, is it always _me_? So, long story short, _that's_ why we never made it out to dinner tonight.

I'm not angry at Scott one bit. This wasn't his fault – Logan picked the fight, and Scott was just trying to keep me out of trouble. Logan's still not happy with the knowledge that Scott and I are dating. Even though he has what he's always wanted (Jean), and managed to snag her out from under Scott's nose, he's still not satisfied. And to think that the entire fight earlier started because he wanted to uphold the promise he made to protect me. I'm starting to think that his definition of "protection" and mine are two _totally _different things. As of right now, he's being more of a thorn in my side than a friend. It's true; he's one of my best friends in this place. However, if it takes breaking off my friendship with him to continue dating Scott, then I'll do it. I won't be happy about it, but if necessary, I will. I love Scott, and nothing's going to change that. As they say, true love knows no boundaries.

Scott's not here right now, although I wish he were. He's currently downstairs in Xavier's office talking to Charles about the fight. Jubilee came and delivered the message – she said something about Xavier wanting to be able to ratify Logan's side of the story. I don't think Scott was very happy about that. Personally, neither am I. After the fight ended and I was carried off to the med lab (I see _way_ too much of that place!), he left on his bike and headed for God-Knows-Where. Based on what Jubilee said, however, I think Charles was able to coax him back. Even if he _did_ come back, though, I'm not ready to talk to him. Well, speak of the devil. Guess who I hear knocking on the other side of the door? Yeah, you guessed it. Mister "I-Stabbed-You-But-Now-I-Want-To-Apologize-And-Start-Another-Argument" himself. Well, I suppose I have to handle this. Hopefully Scott shows up soon. I'm gonna need him to rescue me from this, I can feel it. Sigh. He's not gonna leave me alone until I talk to him, so I'll do it sooner rather than later. In a bit, diary.

* * *

Sighing to herself audibly, Marie shut her diary and set it down on the bed next to her. Flopping back on Scott's bed, she looked up at the ceiling as she called, "Come in." The door opened and Logan poked his head in. Spotting Rogue on the bed, he pushed the door open all the way and walked inside, stopping in the middle of the room, looking unsure of himself. After all, he was in Scott's room, a place he had vowed never to enter. After standing immobile for a minute or two, he spoke.

"Marie?"

"Yes, Logan?" Marie asked, not moving from her spot on Scott's bed.

Logan didn't answer immediately. Marie noticed that he was still looking around the room as if to make sure that there weren't any monsters that were going to jump out at him. Finally, when he seemed satisfied, he grabbed the chair from Scott's desk, turned it around, and sat down so that he was leaning on the back. Granted, he still looked uncomfortable; talking had never been Logan's strongpoint. After scowling for another moment or two, he spoke up.

"I, uh, wanted to apologize for hurtin' you," he said, looking at Marie and trying to make eye-contact with her.

Marie, who was still staring at the ceiling and refusing to make eye-contact with Logan, didn't reply. It was blatantly obvious that she was angry at him – even Logan, who wasn't very good with this kind of thing, understood that she was pissed off. Shutting his eyes for a moment and sighing to himself, he tried again.

"Marie, talk to me, baby."

Sitting up, Marie stared at Logan with fury flashing in her eyes.

"Don't you _dare_ call me 'baby', Logan. First of all, I'm not yours to call pet names. Second, you _stabbed_ me earlier. Does that not mean _anything_ to you? Third, piss off."

Moving her gaze to stare at the ceiling again, Marie lay back down and went back to ignoring Logan. Running a hand through his hair, Logan sighed. This was not going to be easy, he could tell. Readying himself for the long haul, he spoke.

"Marie, I can't fix this if you won't talk to me," he growled.

"What part of 'piss off' don't you understand, Logan?" Marie asked, getting up and staring him in the face angrily.

"I'm not leavin' til I fix this, darlin'."

"Get out!" Marie yelled, pointing with her uninjured arm toward the door.

"No," Logan replied swiftly, his voice dangerously low.

If someone had opened Scott's bedroom door at that moment, it would have looked as if the two were having a standoff like those often seen in the old Western movies. Both were glaring at each other with fire in their eyes, and it was obvious that neither was going to back down unless his or her life depended on it. Marie was still pointing at the door, and Logan had knocked Scott's desk chair aside in his haste to stand up. Logan, being a good foot taller than Marie, had to look down at her, but Rogue showed no sign of being intimidated.

"Get. Out. NOW." Marie enunciated each word clearly, her tone radiating fury with every syllable.

"No."

Logan had never been one to back down from a challenge, and this case wasn't any different. He was determined to talk to Marie and work things out, and that was exactly what he was going to do. However, Marie seemed to have a different opinion on the subject. At Logan's refusal to leave, she had begun stripping off her gloves.

"You played chicken with me once, sugar," Marie said, her eyes gleaming with some indeterminable emotion. "And let me remind you – you _lost_."

Fury flashed briefly through Logan's eyes as he took a step closer to where Marie stood. Marie instinctively took a step back, causing Logan to chuckle darkly. The backs of her knees were touching the bed, meaning that she couldn't retreat any farther – he had her effectively pinned.

"Don't taunt the Wolverine unless you're willing to pay the price, baby."

That was it; Logan's last comment had done it. Something snapped inside Marie, and she knew there was no backing out now. Taking a step closer so that their bodies were touching, Marie ran her right hand along Logan's jaw (her left arm was in a sling, rendering it temporarily useless), finally letting it rest on the back of his neck. Logan's expression softened for a moment – until Marie's power kicked in. Her mutation was taking a toll on both of them, but Rogue was trying her best to appear unaffected.

"You promise me you'll … leave now and … I'll let go," Marie said, her gaze locked with Logan's as both of their breathing became increasingly more shallow as time passed.

"I want…to talk," Logan puffed out. "When…you agree, I'll…leave."

Only ten seconds had passed since Marie had originally touched Logan, but even with his healing factor, it was obvious that he was really starting to have trouble. The two were playing a dangerous game of chicken, and neither had any intention of letting go. Suddenly, the door to the bedroom opened and Scott stopped dead in his tracks in the doorway, shocked at the scene before him. The pile of books he had been carrying spilled out of his arms, but he made no motion to pick them up. Both Marie and Logan had heard the door open, but neither had moved their gaze away from the other.

"Let…go," Logan puffed, looking very close to passing out.

"Okay," Marie said simply before letting go and collapsing straight to the floor.

Scott rushed over to Marie's side as Logan hit the floor next to her. Taking one quick look at Logan to make sure he was okay, Scott rushed out of the room to find Hank. Fourteen hours later, Marie opened her eyes to the fluorescent lighting of the med lab.

"Ah, you're awake," Hank said, walking over to Marie's bedside.

"What – what day is it?" Marie asked as she continued to look at the ceiling; she knew that Hank wouldn't let her sit up until he was finished checking her over.

"Friday the third of October in the late evening. Charles says you are excused from classes today, seeing as he wasn't sure when you were going to wake up."

Hank smiled at Rogue as a call of "Marie!" sounded from across the room. Scott walked into the lab and over to where Marie lay with a weird expression on his face: half happiness, half concern. Taking one of her gloved hands in his (Hank had picked them up off the floor of Scott's bedroom when he had brought Marie down), Scott gave Marie a quick kiss on the top of the head. He then pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed as Hank finished looking Marie over, earning himself a smile in reply.

"I'm confining you to quarters and bed rest for the next three days," Hank said as he put Rogue's file away in one of the huge cabinets by the door, completely ignoring her noise of outrage. "And don't give me that look – if you had held on much longer, you could have killed both Logan and yourself. Luckily, with his healing factor, minimal damage was done."

By the way Marie's expression had transformed from one of outrage into one of abject horror in a matter of seconds, Hank could tell that she had completely forgotten about Logan and the game of chicken that had landed her in the med lab in the first place. Rogue sat up quickly on the exam table, then put a hand to her head, causing Scott to move closer, looking concerned. She hadn't counted on feeling dizzy when she sat up. After sitting in silence for thirty seconds or so trying to make the dizziness go away, she spoke.

"H-How is he?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer despite the fact that Hank had said 'minimal damage' had been done.

"He's okay…or about as okay as he usually is. Very woozy, though. He's upstairs in his room trying to sleep it off," the blue furry mutant replied. "Speaking of which, you should be as well."

"I don't have to stay _here_, though, do I?"

Hank took his glasses off his nose and sighed, looking at Marie, who had her eyes shut and had taken to using Scott as a pillow. He knew that Marie, like Logan, wouldn't like to be kept cooped up in the med lab. And if he _did_ force her to stay, she would just serve as an annoyance and a distraction from his work. Making up his mind, Hank put his glasses back on his nose, speaking at the same time.

"No, you don't. However, I would like you to stay with someone who can help you if you need it. A responsible adult," he said, sending Scott a meaningful look.

Marie had opened her eyes during Hank's little speech, and nodded once he had finished. She instantly regretted the motion, however, because it made her head hurt even more than before; the dizziness had intensified by at least three times. Putting a hand to her head again, she shut her eyes and leaned back against Scott, immobile.

"Sure, Hank. Whatever. Now, d'you have somethin' to make my head feel better?" Marie asked, her southern accent becoming slightly more pronounced in her exhaustion.

"No, I don't," Dr. McCoy replied honestly. "Because this is a side effect of your mutation and not a real illness, I don't have anything to give you. I'm sorry."

Marie groaned, but still didn't move. To her, it almost felt like she was on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean – one that was caught in the middle of the storm of the century. Everything felt like it was moving, including the floor beneath her feet, and it wasn't helping the dizziness go away at all. Scott, who had been looking back and forth between Marie and Hank, turned so that he could grab Rogue and sit her up straight. Once he had done so, he picked up Marie carefully in his arms and took one last glance at Hank.

"I'll take her up to my room. Do you want me to bring her back down here once she's feeling better?" Scott asked, his eyes looking Hank up and down behind the ruby-red shades.

"Yes, that would be good."

Nodding at Hank, Scott began walking up to his room, making sure as to not go so quickly so that he would jostle Marie. The last thing he wished was to cause her more pain. After all, he loved her. He would _die_ before hurting her, that was a promise he was sure to keep. It hurt him to see her in pain, and Scott knew that he would do _everything_ it took to get Marie well again. Everything and _anything_.

* * *

October 5th, 2006 – 5:27 AM, Scott's Bedroom

Wow, I can't believe I slept for almost a day and a half. It was the afternoon of the third when Scott brought me up to his room from the med lab, and now it's early morning on the fifth. Geez. Scott's still asleep, but from the night or two I've spent before in his room, I know that his alarm rings at quarter to six, so he'll be awake soon. It was very nice of him to fetch my journal from my room and bring it here. I usually keep it on me at all times, but when I don't, I leave it on my bookshelf. We've only been dating for about a month now, and he already has my mannerisms and reactions down to a science. It's unbelievable. I mean, I've always known that the man was organized and observant, but I guess it just never hit this close to home before. It's nice, though, because it means he really cares. Sigh. I love him.

So, I'm confined to quarters (technically, Scott's quarters) for another day or so. Blech. Plus, I have to wear the sling on my left arm for another two weeks. I guess this effectively rules out all forms of activity and fun. Great. In other words, I'm confined to pure boredom for fourteen more days. Isn't that wonderful? Trust me, it's not. Please ignore the great big line going down the rest of the page – Scott just spoke and scared the hell outta me. I wasn't even aware he was _awake_. Geez. You could _warn_ a person before doing that! (He just laughed. Sigh. The story of my life. Although he did just offer to make me breakfast, so I suppose I can forgive him. I love it when he cooks for me. YAY, Breakfast in BED!)

I wonder how Logan's doing. Most likely, with his healing factor, he's already out of bed and good as new. _I_, on the other hand, am far from that. Even with having absorbed him twice three times (I keep forgetting that the incident counts), I still don't have _half_ the healing factor he does. Lucky. Oh well, I suppose each person has their own gifts (and in the case of mutants, that's _definitely_ true and _totally_ obvious). Sigh. I'm really curious as to if he's okay, but if I go and look for him, I have a feeling that this whole thing is just going to repeat itself, which I'd really rather avoid. Being stabbed twice is enough, thank you very much. Oh well. I'll debate whether or not to go check on him later. Breakfast has arrived. HOORAY!

Everyone needs a good boyfriend who can cook,

Marie


End file.
